monument
Published on August 13, 2024 at 3:45 p.m.
From a press release:
“The World War I Centennial Commission will host a special first lighting ceremony of the National World War I Memorial on Friday, September 13 at 7:15 p.m. ET. The ceremony will mark the completion of the memorial with the unveiling of “A Soldier’s Journey,” a 25-ton, 60-foot-long bronze sculpture by acclaimed master sculptor Sabin Howard.
To begin the day, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the statue of General John J. Pershing at the World War I Memorial to mark the 164th anniversary of his birth.
When the installation is complete, “A Soldier’s Journey” will be the largest freestanding bronze sculpture in high relief in the Western Hemisphere. It features five scenes and 38 larger-than-life human figures telling the story of the United States from the perspective of a World War I soldier. Smithsonian Magazine noted, “It could become the largest commemorative bronze of modern times.”
Highlights of the evening include performances by the US Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and a 20-person bugle corps in World War I uniforms from the US and Allied nations. The bugle corps will pay an international tribute to the Allied nations by playing the French bugle call “Aux Morts”, the British bugle call “The Last Post” and the US bugle call “Taps”.
The event will be capped off with a candlelight ceremony to celebrate the permanent lighting of the memorial. The lighting also symbolizes the transfer of responsibility from the federally created World War I Centennial Commission to the National Park Service. With the commission’s expiration on September 30, the Doughboy Foundation will become the stewards of the mission to ensure that the United States continues to honor and commemorate those who served in World War I in perpetuity with this experiential memorial.
The live-streamed ceremony is open to the public. There is a special public viewing area with a large screen in the adjacent Freedom Plaza, 1325 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Those interested in witnessing this historic event can register to attend in person or via livestream on the National World War I Memorial website.”
