Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington DC

U. S. Navy Memorial

For America's sea services, the United States Navy Memorial is the triumph of a centuries-old dream. In the early days of America's national independence, architect Pierre L'Enfant envisioned a memorial in the Nation’s Capital to "to celebrate the first rise of the Navy and consecrate its progress and achievements." But it was only in the twentieth century that L'Enfant's vision of a Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., was realized.Construction began in December 1985, and the Memorial was dedicated two years later on October 13, 1987, the 212th birthday of the United States Navy. "The Navy Memorial is new," said Admiral Thompson, "but it is rich in tradition and heritage that parallel the history of the Navy and the history of the United States."