We are fortunate enough as Americans to be protected by our armed forces. The sacrifices that the men and women have made for us is not to be forgotten. A visit to one of these memorials is something that (we think) every American should do.
10 Incredible Monuments Honoring our Veterans
1. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is perhaps the most moving monument in the United States and is something every American should see. The changing of the guard is an experience like no other. The tomb may hold the remains of one WWI soldier, but he represents all the men and women who never made it home. (Washington, D.C.)
2. Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial – There are several monuments that make up the Gettysburg Battlefield to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. Between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers from both armies were casualties in the three-day battle, the most costly in US history. (Gettysburg, PA)
3. Vietnam Memorial honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for (Missing In Action) during the War. (Washington, D.C.)
4. Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Japanese against the United States naval base, the attack came as a shock to America and catapulted us into World War II. (Hawaii)
5. TheUnited States National Memorial Arch is a monument built to celebrate the arrival of General George Washington and the Continental Army at during the American Revolutionary War. Starvation, disease, malnutrition, and exposure killed more than 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February 1778. (Chester County, PA)
6. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial is also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial and was inspired by the iconic photograph of six Marines raising a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. (Arlington, VA)
7. Alamo Cenotaph Monument inscription perfectly sums up its purpose. “Erected in memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives at the Alamo, March 6, 1836, in the defense of Texas. They chose never to surrender nor retreat; these brave hearts, with the flag still proudly waving, perished in the flames of immortality that their high sacrifice might lead to the founding of this Texas.” Can you imagine what the U.S. would look like without Texas? (San Antonio, TX)
8. The Korean War Veterans Memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year period of the Korean War. During the wars its relatively short duration 36,574 Americans died. (Washington, D.C.)
9. The National D-Day Memorial serves as the national memorial for American D-Day veterans and commends all Allied Armed Forces during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944 during World War II. (Bedford, VA)
10. National World War I Memorial is also the nation’s only public museum dedicated to WWI, with a large collection of photos, weapons & more. (Kansas City, MO)
How many of these war memorials have you visited?
