World War II Memorial

State of Washington
Capitol Campus, Olympia, WA
Dedicated May, 1999

The memorial, honoring Washington’s war dead, is composed of various elements and symbols. The five standing blades, representing the five services, stand on a granite and bronze map of the world, and are etched with the names of the state’s war dead. The names form images - “ghosts” - figures of men and women overseas and at home. The “wheatfield,” 4000 wheat stalks standing for the individuals who died, moves in waves, creating sound - suggesting the sound of the souls of the dead. Stones placed around the wheatfield are carved with the names of the major battles of the war, whose locations are marked with bronze pegs in the world map. The bronze used to create the heads of the wheat stalks was forged from recovered torpedo railings.