Please check the link about the nasty lies being spread about the WWII Memorial...
I had the honor being with many vets and their families on May 27 and 28 at the WWII Memorial Dedication.
In 1987 Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (Democrat-Ohio) was asked by one of her constituents, Roger Durbin, why there was no National WWII Memorial. She was surprised that he was right. She then spearheaded the effort to introduce the legislation to authorize the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish such a memorial in the nations capital.
After 6 years of discussion, delays, additional legislation, and two Presidents later, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 on May 25, 1993, authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a WWII Memorial.
World War II veteran and Senator Bob Dole - and Fed-Ex founder Frederick W. Smith were the national co-chairmen of the fund-raising campaign. Amazingly, approximately $195 million was collected, almost all from private contributions.
On November 11, 2000, Veterans Day, there was a ground-breaking ceremony held on the National Mall. Senator Bob Dole, actor Tom Hanks, President Bill Clinton, a 101-year-old mother of a fallen soldier, and 7,000 others attended the ceremony.
On Thursday, April 29, 2004, the site first opened to the public. The formal dedication of the Memorial was held on May 29, 2004.
The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. armed services, the 400,000 who died in the war, and the millions of Americans who supported the war on the home front.
I had planned to meet up with 10 different men at the Memorial-only two of them made it. Several died in the past months others were unable to attend. Of the 16 million who served, less than 4 million remain.
One of the things that touched me the most was seeing the men walk up to a stranger, pat them on the shoulder, nod and continue walking. It showed a camaraderie that transcends the decades.
These are some of the almost 200 pictures
Thank you,
Russ