United States Navy Memorial, Military memorial in Pennsylvania Avenue Historic Site, Washington, D.C., United States.
The United States Navy Memorial sits on Pennsylvania Avenue and consists of a circular granite plaza with signal flags around its edge. Bronze sculptures stand beside shallow water pools and show scenes from naval service.
Congress approved the construction in 1980 and required that all funds come from private donations. Completion followed seven years later under the leadership of a nonprofit foundation.
The Naval Heritage Center displays interactive exhibits about life at sea and preserves personal stories of sailors in a searchable database. Visitors can look up the service of their own family members in the Navy Log and learn about their deployments.
The memorial is freely accessible at all times and sits centrally between important government buildings. The visitor center offers free guided tours and hosts regular commemorative ceremonies honoring sea services.
The Lone Sailor statue by Stanley Bleifeld was the first of its kind and served as the model for later copies at other locations. The artist used casts of faces and hands from former sailors for realistic details.
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