The Navy Memorial

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

The Navy Memorial - from Bow to Stern — National Mall & Memorial Parks, Washington, DC —

By Richard E. Miller, February 4, 2010 1. The Navy Memorial - from Bow to Stern Marker   Inscription.  “...without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.” George Washington. The United States Navy Memorial’s roots are as old as the Nation’s Capital itself . Major Peter C. L’Enfant envisioned a great federal city that would be home to grand government buildings and prominent memorials. L’Enfant signaled the importance of the Navy by selecting the notable 8th Street vista - midway between the Capitol and the White House - as the site for a Naval Itinerary Column. The column never appeared, but the current memorial suitably sits astride that 8th Street vista. Here one may honor those who forged the Navy’s heritage, pay tribute to the fallen, and demonstrate gratitude to those Sailors now serving. In the upper right of the marker is photograph of the Lone Sailor sculpture facing a parade of sailors. It's caption reads: The Lone Sailor© Perhaps the most enduring element of the memorial, and the one to which most visitors are drawn, is The Lone Sailor©. Although a seasoned, seagoing veteran, The Lone Sailor© depicts an individual, at most 25 years of age who willingly serves his country but longs for his return home to family and   By Richard E. Miller, February 4, 2010 2. The Navy Memorial - from Bow to Stern Marker U.S. Archives Building, left background (across Pennsylvania Avenue); and the Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Department of Justice office building, center and right background - Lone Sailor statue on the "Granite Sea", middle right.   friends. The bronze sculpture fittingly contains metal from eight historic U.S. Navy ships - USS Constitution, USS Constellation, USS Hartford, USS Maine, USS Ranger, USS Biloxi, USS Hancock, USS Seawolf - and the modern Navy’s National Defense Service Medal. In the center of the marker is an aerial photograph of the Navy Memorial. The numbered captions for this photograph identifies key points around the memorial as follows: 1. Compass Rose - The entrance point to the Navy Memorial. Surmounted by the Department of the Navy seal, this represents the Navy’s true course in defending our nation. 2. Fountain Pool - Honors the men and women of the U.S. Navy as well as the international navies that cooperate with the U.S. Navy. Each pool annually is salted with waters from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes. 3. Bronze Reliefs - 26 sculptures depict naval scenes from times of war and peace. 4. The Lone Sailor©. 5. The Granite Sea - This granite map reminds visitors of the expanse of the earth’s oceans, aligns perfectly with the earth, and is centered on Washington, D.C. 6. The Concert Stage - plays host to military band performances. 7. The 8th Street vista. 8. Naval Heritage Center - celebrates the heritage of the sea service people and their time honored traditions of the sea. At    By Richard E. Miller, February 4, 2010 3. Entrance to the U.S. Navy Memorial - off the 8th Street "vista" Note the adjacent, stained glass "WWII Submarine Memorial."   the bottom of the marker are flag renderings, representing the: United States Ensign; U.S. Navy; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Merchant Marine; Prisoners of War/Missing in Action; Chief of Naval Operations; First Navy Jack. All images (on the marker were provided)courtesy of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and the United States Navy.   Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Deptartment of the Interior.    Location. 38° 53.657′ N, 77° 1.366′ W. Marker is in Penn Quarter, District of Columbia, in Washington. Marker is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and 7th Street, NW on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Click for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20004, United States of America.    Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The United States Navy Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); General Winfield Scott Hancock (within shouting distance of this marker); Ceremony at the Crossroads(about 300 feet away, in a direct line); In Memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (about 400 feet away); National Council of Negro Women (about 500 feet away); 601 Pennsylvania Avenue(approx. 0.2 miles away); Nathan Hale (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Roots of Freedom and Equality (approx. 0.2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Penn Quarter.   By Richard E. Miller, February 4, 2010 4. Close-up of the "World War II Submarine Memorial" "Honoring all who served in the 'Silent Service'"  Designer and Sculptor: Leo C. Irrera - Stained Glass Artist: R. Leo Pelkington OP.