First Division Monument

The First Division Monument is a military memorial in President's Park in Washington, featuring a pink granite column topped with a gilded bronze Victory figure. The walls surrounding the column are inscribed with the names of fallen soldiers representing various twentieth-century conflicts.

The memorial was dedicated in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge to honor First Division soldiers who died during World War I. Later additions to the monument expanded its purpose to remember the fallen from subsequent military conflicts.

The memorial carries the name of the First Infantry Division and serves as a place where visitors recognize the significance of this unit in American military history. The red flowerbed arrangement in front creates an immediate visual connection between the monument and the division's identity.

The memorial sits in the southern section of President's Park, easily accessible between 17th Street Northwest and West Executive Avenue Northwest. Visitors should note that the location is part of a secure government area and access may be restricted during special events.

A red flowerbed in front of the monument is arranged to form the numeral one, referencing the First Division's nickname 'The Big Red One'. This design detail is often overlooked by visitors who focus their attention on the granite column itself.