The US Navy Memorial in Washington DC honors the Sea Service and offers exhibits and artifacts related to maritime history. It contains a Memorial Plaza with the bronze statue The Lone Sailor and a Naval Heritage Center with a library and archive facility. The memorial was authorized by Congress in 1980 and built with private funds, dedicated in 1987. The US Navy Memorial Foundation was established by Admiral Arleigh Burke and his Navy contemporaries in 1977.
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the National Archives in Washington DC, the US Navy Memorial pays homage to the past, present and future of the men and women of the Sea Service. The memorial offers visitors the opportunity to view exhibits and artifacts related to maritime history. The memorial was authorized by Congress in 1980. Built with private funds, the memorial was dedicated in 1987.
The US Navy Memorial contains a Memorial Plaza, highlighted by the bronze statue The Lone Sailor. Designed by artist Stanly Bleifield, a WWII Navy veteran, the sculpture depicts a young US Navy blue jacket, staring off into the distance. The statue is made up of artifacts from eight ships of the United States Navy, including the USS Constitution, also known as the “Old Ironsides” and the USS Maine.
Another bronze statue of Bleifeld adorns the Memorial Plaza. Homecoming portrays a returning sailor who is happily welcomed by his wife and son. Bleifeld was inspired to design the statue after visiting various Navy ports and seeing firsthand Navy personnel being welcomed home by family following overseas deployments.
A memorial plaque at the memorial honors the service of Navy ships, squadrons, and servicemen. More than 400 plaques, sponsored by individuals and groups, are on permanent display on the outside wall. Plaques contain images, text, team insignia, logos and other graphics. The wall also contains important quotes from famous men in US Navy history, including John Paul Jones and David Farragut. Individuals and groups can sponsor a plaque for a donation of $3,000 (USD). Donations are used to further the US Navy Memorial’s mission.
A Naval Heritage Center is located next to the memorial. The center is an impressive research and archive facility where staff, volunteers and interns assist visitors and respond to e-mail inquiries. A library boasts more than 1,000 books and titles, as well as 30,000 photographs and 1,500 items. The Voices of the Navy Memorial Collection includes original oral and written descriptions of naval service by sea veterans. Navy Log kiosks allow visitors to find information about Sea Service personnel and view service records.
Admiral Arleigh Burke, a Navy war hero and former Chief of Naval Operations, led a group in 1977 to begin the process of creating a maritime memorial. Burke and his Navy contemporaries established a non-profit organization, the US Navy Memorial Foundation, for that purpose. Congress approved private funding of a memorial in 1980 in the District of Columbia on Pennsylvania Avenue, which connects the United States Capitol and the White House. Ground was broken for the memorial in 1985.
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