Domestic Remembrances

~ Domestic Remembrances ~

For the New York City and other Domestic Remembrances on Memorial Day 2023 ~ Click Here!

For the New York City Remembrance on Memorial Day 2022 ~ Click Here!

For the New York City Remembrance on Memorial Day 2021 ~ Click Here!

Arlington ~ and the Tomb of the Unknowns ~ Click Here!

The World War Two Memorial ~ on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. was opened to the public on April 29 and dedicated on May 29, 2004. AWON’s bi-annual National Conference was built around this dedication. The very first official use of the Memorial ~ authorized by the National Park Service ~ was for a Candlelight Service in which the Grandchildren of the fallen read the names . . . to honor the Fathers and loved ones of AWON.

The Memorial consists of 56 granite pillars between two opposite arches representing the Atlantic and the Pacific.

The pillars each represent one of the 48 states that existed in 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory, the Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The pillars and arches surround a central, oval pool with fountains ~ and a separate reflecting pool and Freedom Wall, facing the Lincoln Memorial ~ where the fallen of WWII are specifically represented.

A huge Medallion suggests the Gravitas of World War Two, in which 405,399 service men and women gave their lives to save the world.

Here we mark the Price of Freedom ~ as 4,048 Gold Stars adorn the Freedom Wall ~ over a reflecting pool.

The Gold Stars representing our fathers was the brainchild and suggestion to St. Florian (the memorial’s designer) by our Founder, Ann Mix.

The similarity of the Gold Stars on the Freedom Wall to the AWON Star MAY be just a coincidence.

The Atlantic Arch represents the European Theater.

The Pacific Arch represents the Pacific Theater.

Kilroy represents the American service men and women who served in every village and town, in every sub or destroyer or carrier, in every place and facet of World War II. As the story goes, James Kilroy was the man assigned to mark successful welds on the bulkheads of vessels for the Navy (so they wouldn’t pay for the same weld twice) used this distinctive mark. It was meant to be painted over before the ships were completed, but in the rush to get ships into combat, the Kilroy message stayed very visible on the (unpainted) bulkheads ~ and the symbol ~ then repeated in so many villages and towns became synonymous with American Quality. Which is why so many American servicemen would use it to mark the territory they were in the process of liberating.

AWON spoke several times to the Kilroy family in the late nineties ~ to obtain permission to use the symbol on our website. While permission wasn’t specifically granted, nor was it withheld, so we’ve used it unobtrusively for years on the “JF” (Jack Forgy) page of the original website. And now we use it proudly here, as its currently used on the WWII Memorial itself ~ not in just ONE place, but in TWO places. But you’ll need to look carefully to find them.

Hint: the 27-Minute TOUR below specifically identifies one of the two Kilroy locations.

27-Minute TOUR of the WWII Memorial

With many thanks to the Friends of the National WWII Memorial • Tom Hanks, Kenneth Terry, & Harry Miller

Domestic Cemeteries and Memorials

AWON Maintains a list of the 121 National Cemeteries and Memorials in the United States. Click Here!