Monuments and Memorials Authorized and Completed Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia
Released: 2017-11-17T00:00:00

Introduction

Since November 1986, the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) has provided the legal framework for the placement of commemorative works in the District of Columbia. The CWA was enacted to establish a statutory process for ensuring "that future commemorative works in areas administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the General Services Administration (GSA) in the District of Columbia and its environs (1) are appropriately designed, constructed, and located and (2) reflect a consensus of the lasting significance of the subjects involved." Since the CWA's enactment, 35 memorials have been authorized for placement in the District of Columbia.

This report provides a catalog of the 19 memorials in the District of Columbia that have been authorized, completed, and dedicated since the passage of the CWA. A summary of the work is provided. The report also provides information—located within text boxes for easy reference—on the statute(s) authorizing the work; the authorized organization; legislative extensions, if any; the memorial's location; and the dedication date. A picture of each work is also included. The Appendix includes a map showing each memorial's location.

For a further discussion of the placement of memorials in the District of Columbia see CRS Report R41658, Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Background and Practice , by Jacob R. Straus and CRS Report R43744, Monuments and Memorials Authorized Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia: Current Development of In-Progress and Lapsed Works , by Jacob R. Straus.

Commemorative Works Areas of the District of Columbia

The CWA divides land under the jurisdiction of the NPS and GSA in the District of Columbia and its environs into three sections for the placement of memorials: the Reserve, Area I, and Area II. For each area, the standards for memorial placement are specified in law, and congressional approval of monument location is required. Property not under the jurisdiction of the NPS or GSA is not subject to the CWA. See Figure A-1 for a map of the commemorative works areas of the District of Columbia.

Reserve

The Reserve was created in November 2003, by P.L. 108-126 , to prohibit the addition of future memorials in an area defined as "the great cross-axis of the Mall, which generally extends from the United States Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial ." This area is legally considered "a substantially completed work of civic art. " Within this area, "to preserve the integrity of the Mall … the siting of new commemorative works is prohibited. "

Area I

Created as part of the original CWA statute in 1986, Area I is reserved for commemorative works of "preeminent historical and lasting significance to the United States. " Area I is roughly bounded by the West Front of the Capitol; Pennsylvania Avenue NW (between 1 st and 15 th Streets NW); Lafayette Square; 17 th Street NW (between H Street and Constitution Avenue); Constitution Avenue NW (between 17 th and 23 rd Streets); the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts waterfront area; Theodore Roosevelt Island; National Park Service land in Virginia surrounding the George Washington Memorial Parkway; the 14 th Street Bridge area; and Maryland Avenue SW, from Maine Avenue SW, to Independence Avenue SW, at the United States Botanic Garden.

Area II

Also created as part of the original CWA statute, Area II is reserved for "subjects of lasting historical significance to the American people. " Area II encompasses all sections of the District of Columbia and its environs not part of the Reserve or Area I.

Authorized Commemorative Works

Since the passage of the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) in 1986, Congress has authorized 35 commemorative works to be placed in the District of Columbia or its environs, 19 of which have been completed and dedicated—16 under the auspices of the CWA and three outside of the CWA process. The other 16 authorized commemorative works are either in progress or have a lapsed authorization. Table 1 lists the commemorative works authorized and dedicated since 1986.

Completed Commemorative Works

Since 1986, 19 commemorative works have been completed within the District of Columbia and its environs. These memorials honored groups of individuals, such as women who have served in the U.S. military; veterans from World War II as well as the Korean War; and individuals including George Mason, Francis Scott Key, and Mahatma Gandhi. For each memorial, a short background and a picture is included. Additionally, a text box is provided that includes information on the authorizing statute; the sponsor organization; statutory extensions of the sponsor's authorization, if necessary; the memorial's location; and the date of dedication.

Women in Military Service for America

In October 1986, Congress authorized the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation to construct a commemorative work, on federal land, to honor women who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial is a "30-foot high curved neoclassical retaining wall" and a fountain. While the foundation has raised nonfederal funds to construct the memorial, because the memorial was built to complement the existing main gate and plaza of Arlington National Cemetery, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Army to provide "engineering, design, construction management, and related services on a reimbursable basis." Figure 1 shows the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

Francis Scott Key

In October 1986, the Francis Scott Key Park Foundation was authorized by Congress to construct a commemorative work on public grounds in the District of Columbia to "honor and in commemoration of Francis Scott Key, the author of the words to 'The Star Spangled Banner,' our National Anthem, who lived and practiced law in Washington, District of Columbia at the time he penned those immortal words." The memorial is located in a park close to the site of Francis Scott Key's home, which was demolished in 1947, and is adjacent to the Georgetown entrance to Key Bridge, which is also named for Francis Scott Key. The memorial consists of a round stone base and a bust of Francis Scott Key and is shown in Figure 2 .

Korean War Veterans

In October 1986, the American Battle Monuments Commission was authorized by Congress to construct a memorial on federal land in Washington, DC, "to honor members of the Armed Forces of the United States who served in the Korean War, particularly those who were killed in action, are still listed as missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war." Located to the southeast of the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial contains 19 stainless steel statues, a mural wall etched with bas-relief images of photographs of Korean War scenes from the National Archives, a pool of remembrance, an honor roll, a low stone wall listing the 22 nations that participated in the war, and a dedication stone. "The 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 its relatively short duration from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, 54,246 Americans died in support of their country. Of these, 8,200 are listed as missing in action or lost or buried at sea. In addition 103,284 were wounded during the conflict." Figure 3 shows the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

American Armored Force

In November 1986, Congress authorized 25 private armored force committees and associations to create a memorial on federal land to "honor members of the American Armored Force who have served in armored units." The memorial was authorized to "commemorate the exceptional professionalism of the members of the American Armored Force and their efforts to maintain peace worldwide." Located on Memorial Drive at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the American Armored Force Memorial ( Figure 4 ) depicts armored forces engaged in battle surrounded by the logos of the various armored divisions.

Vietnam Women

In November 1988, Congress authorized the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project to establish a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia to "honor women who served in the Armed Forces of the United States in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era." Located next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women's Memorial is designed to honor all women who served during the Vietnam War. The bronze statue of the Vietnam Women's Memorial statue ( Figure 5 ) depicts "a nurse—in a moment of crisis—… supported by sandbags as she serves as the life support for a wounded soldier lying across her lap. The standing woman looks up, in search of a med-i-vac helicopter or, perhaps, in search of help from God."

George Mason

In August 1990, the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall was authorized to build a memorial to George Mason on federal land in the District of Columbia. Located in West Potomac Park, near the Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, and George Mason Memorial Bridge, the George Mason Memorial ( Figure 6 ) was designed in the style of Mason's Gunston Hall plantation and features a statue of the American patriot and statesmen seated on a bench. Following congressional authorization of the site location, the memorial was placed as an addition to an existing commemorative work to George Mason—the south-bound span of the 14 th Street Bridge—that had been authorized in 1959.

African-American Civil War-Union Soldier/Sailors

In October 1992, Congress authorized the government of the District of Columbia to establish a memorial on federal land "to honor African-Americans who served with Union forces during the Civil War." Located at 12 th and U Streets NW the African-American Civil War-Union Soldiers/Sailors Memorial ( Figure 7 ) features a granite plaza surrounded by a wall of honor on three sides. In the center is a statue featuring "uniformed black soldiers and a sailor poised to leave home. Women, children, and elders on the cusp of the concave inner surface seek strength together."

Japanese American Patriotism in World War II

In October 1992, Congress authorized the Go for Broke National Veterans Association Foundation to create a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia "to honor Japanese American patriotism in World War II." Located at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue NW, Louisiana Avenue NW, and D Street NW, the memorial contains a statue of a crane surrounded by the names of the 10 relocation camps used to house Japanese Americans during World War II. The Japanese American Patriotism in World War II Memorial ( Figure 8 ) also contains the names of Japanese Americans killed in uniform during World War II, a bell, a reflecting pond with five granite boulders, and a quotation by Senator Daniel Inouye.

World War II

In May 1993, Congress authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a memorial "to honor members of the Armed Forces who served in World War II and to commemorate the participation of the United States in that war." Located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial between the eastern edge of the Reflecting Pool and 17 th Street NW, the World War II Memorial ( Figure 9 ) consists of 24 bronze bas-relief panels flanking the ceremonial entrance, 56 granite columns around the Rainbow Pool to "symbolize the unprecedented wartime unity among the forty-eight states, several federal territories, and the District of Columbia." Two 43-foot tall pavilions proclaiming "American victory on the Atlantic and Pacific fronts" are located to the North and South of the pool.

Victims of Communism

In December 1993, Congress authorized the National Captive Nations Committee to "construct, maintain, and operate in the District of Columbia an appropriate international memorial to honor victims of communism." Located on Massachusetts Avenue NW between New Jersey Avenue NW and G Street NW, the Victims of Communism Memorial ( Figure 10 ) features the statue "Goddess of Democracy," a "bronze replica of a statue erected by Chinese students in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China in the spring of 1989."

Mahatma Gandhi

In October 1998, Congress authorized the government of India to establish and maintain a memorial "to honor Mahatma Gandhi on Federal land in the District of Columbia." Located outside the Embassy of India in a park surrounded by Q Street NW, Massachusetts Avenue NW and 21 st Street NW, "[t]he sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi is cast in bronze as a statue to a height of 8 feet 8 inches. It shows Gandhi in stride, as a leader and man of action evoking memories of his 1930 protest march against salt-tax, and the many padyatras (long marches) he undertook throughout the length and breadth of the Indian sub-continent." The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial ( Figure 11 ) is located in a memorial plaza, which includes "[t]hree inscription panels in ruby red granite, mounted on gray granite bases, [and] are located on the eastern side of the plaza facing the park."

Lincoln Memorial "I Have a Dream" Speech

In October 2000, Congress authorized the placement at the Lincoln Memorial of a plaque commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s August 28, 1963, "I Have a Dream" speech. Located on the Lincoln Memorial steps at the spot where Dr. King spoke, the plaque ( Figure 12 ) commemorates the speech and the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Tomas G. Masaryk

In November 2001, Congress authorized the government of the Czech Republic to maintain and "establish a memorial to honor Tomas G. Masaryk [Czechoslovakia's first president] on Federal land in the District of Columbia." Located on Massachusetts Avenue NW, Florida Avenue NW, and Q Street NW, the memorial ( Figure 13 ) "honors Tomas Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), the founder and first president of Czechoslovakia.… [and] was modeled from life in 1937 shortly before Masaryk died."

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In November 1996, Congress authorized the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial "to honor Martin Luther King, Jr." Located on the National Mall in the northeast corner of the Tidal Basin, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial ( Figure 14 ) features a statue of Dr. King "emerging from a mountain ... " referencing "a line from King's 1963 'I Have a Dream' speech. 'With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.'"

American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial

In October 2000, Congress authorized the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc., to establish a commemorative work, on federal land, in the District of Columbia "to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States." The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is located near the Rayburn House Office Building between Washington Avenue SW and 2 nd Street SW across from the United States Botanic Garden's Bartholdi Park. The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial features an eternal flame ( Figure 15 ) and images of, and quotations about, disabled veterans.

Victims of the Ukrainian Manmade Famine of 1932-1933

In October 2006, Congress authorized the government of Ukraine "to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the Ukrainian famine-genocide of 1932-1933." The memorial is located at a site bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, North Capitol Street, and F Street NW. The memorial is termed "Field of Wheat," and "contains a six foot tall bronze wall that transitions from a high bas relief of wheat on the east end to a deep negative relief on the west, symbolizing the loss of wheat and food." ( Figure 16 )

Other Memorials

Since 1986, three commemorative works have been authorized by Congress for placement within the District of Columbia, but were either exempted from a portion of the CWA or were ultimately placed outside of the area defined by the act. The Air Force Memorial was located near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, a plaque to honor Vietnam veterans who died as a result of service in the Vietnam War was placed at the Vietnam Memorial, and a plaque to honor Senator Robert J. Dole's contribution to creating the World War II Memorial was placed at the memorial's site.

United States Air Force

In December 1993, Congress authorized the Air Force Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial to "honor the men and women who have served in the United States Air Force and its predecessors." Pursuant to P.L. 107-107 , the Air Force Memorial is located at the Arlington Naval Annex near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The United States Air Force Memorial ( Figure 17 ) was constructed on land not covered by the Commemorative Works Act and is not managed by the National Park Service or the General Services Administration.

Veterans Who Died as a Result of Service in the Vietnam War

In June 2000, Congress authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission to place a plaque at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial "to honor those Vietnam veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of that service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the memorial wall." Located at the northeast corner of the plaza surrounding the Three Serviceman statue at the Vietnam War Memorial, the plaque ( Figure 18 ) is in memory of the soldiers who died as a result of their service in the Vietnam War, after the war's conclusion.

Senator Robert J. Dole Plaque

In October 2009, in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, Congress authorized the placement of a plaque to honor Senator Robert J. Dole at the World War II Memorial. The plaque was to "commemorate the extraordinary leadership of Senator Robert J. Dole in making the Memorial a reality on the National Mall." Located on the south side of the World War II Memorial, the Dole Plaque ( Figure 19 ) honors the Senator for his contributions to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.

Appendix. Location of Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia

Figure A-1 shows a map with the location of commemorative works authorized and dedicated since 1986.