Air Force Memorial

Location:

1 Air Force Memorial Drive
Arlington VA, 222111
(Off of Columbia Pike)

Hours:

April- September, 8am to 11pm
October- March, 8am to 9pm

Admission:

Free.

Parking:

On right, directly across from Columbia Pike and Memorial entrance.

The United States Air Force Memorial is located in prime Arlington, off of Columbia Pike. Dedicated on Saturday, October 14, 2006, the memorial rests on Arlington Ridge and presents visitors with a majestic vista of the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetary, Iwo Jima Memorial and Washington DC cityscape across the Potomac River.

The memorial was funded by private contributors of more than $30 million. Designed by James Ingo feed, an internationally renounced architect, the 270-foot memorial stands for visitors to honor the services and sacrifices of the men and women of the United States Air Force and its predecessor organizations.

The Memorial was designed to depict a precision "bomb burst" maneuver but with only three contrails to suggest the missing man formation. "Soaring Glory", as the three stainless steel spires are known for, also represent the US Air Force's core value: Integrity first, Service before self and Excellence in all they do. The spires are all asymmetrical with different heights which makes visiting the memorial a dynamic experience. The appearance of the arcs changes depending with the visitor's location and the time of day. At night, the memorial is illuminated from below.

Underneath the spires lays the granite Air Force "Star". The memorial includes four 8-foot bronze honor guard statues, two granite inscription walls, and a glass Contemplation wall.