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Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors service members of the US armed forces who served in the Vietnam War.

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Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

The names of over 58,000 servicemembers who gave their lives between 1957 and 1975 are listed on the black granite wall in chronological order.

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Three Soldiers, Washington, D.C. -

Complementing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the Three Soldiers bronze statue. To portray the major ethnic groups that were represented in the ranks of U. combat personnel that served in Vietnam, the statue's three men are purposely identifiable as Latino American (left), European American (center), and African American (right).

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Three Soldiers, Washington, D.C. -

The Three Soldiers was the first representation of an African American on the National Mall.

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Vietnam Women's Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

The Vietnam Women's Memorial is America's first—and still its only—memorial to military women on Washington's National Mall.

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Vietnam Women's Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

The monument was established to honor the 265,000 military and civilian women who served around the world during the Vietnam War.

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Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

Memorializing all those who served in the Korean War (1950–1953), this national memorial features 19 statues representing US personnel in action.

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Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. -

The memorial also includes a granite memorial wall engraved with the names of US military personnel (and South Koreans embedded in American military units) who died in the conflict.

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Monument to the Women of World War II, London -

Unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on July 9, 2005, the 60th anniversary of VE Day, the Monument to the Women of World War II represents the wartime contributions of over seven million women, including 650,000 who joined military services.

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Monument to the Women of World War II, London -

The bronze sculpture features representations of the uniforms and working clothes worn by women during the conflict, designed to look as if they had been hung up at the end of a day's work and reflecting Winston Churchill's famous call, "Let the Women Come Forward."

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Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, Boston -

The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial commemorates one of the first black regiments of the American Civil War.

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Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, Boston -

Set opposite Boston's Beacon Street, the memorial features Colonel Robert Gould Shaw astride a horse and a unit of Infantry. This is the first civic monument to pay homage to the heroism of African-American soldiers. Suitably, it appears at the end credits scene of the 1989 film 'Glory,' which depicts the soldiers of the 54th from the formation of their regiment. 

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Capas National Shrine, Capas -

The landmark Capas National Shrine obelisk in the Philippines marks the place where the American and Philippine soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese at Corregidor in the Second World War ended their Bataan death march.

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Capas National Shrine, Capas -

A marble memorial wall is set around the obelisk. Trees planted in honor of those who died during the death march have each been assigned a number corresponding to a soldier's number.

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Polar Bears Memorial, Troy -

This unique monument standing in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy, Michigan, commemorates the only American soldiers to have directly fought Russians during the First World War.

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Polar Bears Memorial, Troy -

In 1918 towards the end of WWI, a unit of American soldiers nicknamed the Polar Bears engaged Bolshevik forces at Arkhangelsk (Archangel) after Russia had brokered peace with Germany. Fearful that the enemy might seize a large supply of Allied munitions in the port city, the Polar Bears clashed with Russian forces. Forty-one Americans died in the fighting. Their bodies were later retrieved and reburied in Troy, as most were from the state of Michigan.

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Australian War Memorial, Canberra -

The monumental Australian War Memorial is located in Canberra, the country's capital. It was originally envisioned to commemorate servicemembers of the First World War.

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Australian War Memorial, Canberra -

However, the institution's scope was later widened to include servicemembers from the Second World War and later from all other conflicts.

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Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington -

The Marine Corp War Memorial at Arlington Ridge Park in Virginia is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

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Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington -

This war memorial was inspired by the iconic 1945 photograph of six Marines raising a US flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Second World War.

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Polish Forces War Memorial, Alrewas -

The sacrifices made by Polish combatants during the Second World War are memorialized by the Polish Forces War Memoria at Alrewas in Staffordshire, England.

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Polish Forces War Memorial, Alrewas -

The memorial is set within the grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum, a site of national remembrance and home to more than 400 symbolic memorials that honor the fallen and recognize service and sacrifice made by those in the British armed forces and civilian community.

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National Memorial Arch, Valley Forge -

Dedicated in 1917, the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania, was erected to commemorate the arrival of General George Washington and the Continental Army into Valley Forge in December 1777.

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National Memorial Arch, Valley Forge -

Approximately 12,000 Continental Army troops under George Washington's command were encamped at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778.

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The Motherland Calls, Volgograd -

The Motherland Calls is a central part of the monument to those who defended Stalingrad against Nazi Germany and its Axis allies in 1942–1943.

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The Motherland Call, Volgograd -

The colossal war memorial sculpture is located on Mamayev Kurgan in the Russian city of Volgograd (Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd in 1961) and is part of a whole complex of statues.

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USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu -

This unusual memorial is built on top of the sunken Battleship USS Arizona located on Battleship Row at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor.

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USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu -

The memorial marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the vessel during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. More widely, it's dedicated to preserving the memories of the sacrifices made by servicemen and civilians in the Pacific Theater throughout the Second World War.

Sources: (Just Wander More) (Polar Bear Memorial Association) (United States Marine Corps) (National Park Service)

See also: Historic battlefields you can visit

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