Capitol Campus’ legacy of honoring veterans
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, and our Capitol Campus honors veterans year-round with memorials that pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for our country. Our Buildings & Grounds staff maintain the campus memorials to ensure they’re looking their best, and before Veterans Day, they give each memorial a thorough cleaning.
Together, we commemorate Veterans Day by reflecting on the ongoing legacy of the veteran memorials on Capitol Campus.
World War II Memorial
Location: Northeast lawn of the west campus, beside 11th Avenue
Dedication date: May 28, 1999
Significance: This memorial was one of the first in the country to honor those who served in World War II, with particular focus on the nearly 6,000 Washington residents who gave their lives in battle.
Winged Victory Monument
Location: Northeast of the Legislative building, in the center of the west campus drive-around circle
Dedication date: May 30, 1938
Significance: The Winged Victory Monument honors the 1,642 Washingtonians who died in World War I. About 4.7 million U.S. soldiers — including about 65,000 soldiers from Washington — served in the war, also known as the Great War. The war changed the state’s economy and workforce because of the demand for raw materials, such as lumber and agricultural products. It also led to the founding of what is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
POW-MIA Memorial
Location: Directly east of the Winged Victory Monument on the west campus
Dedication date: Sept. 16, 1988
Significance: This small, marble memorial originally served as a Vietnam veterans memorial. After numerous POW/MIA activist groups advocated for the sculpture to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action, the memorial was rededicated.
Medal of Honor Memorial
Location: Northeast of the Legislative Building, in the center of the west campus drive-around circle
Dedication date: Nov. 7, 1976
Significance: This monument honors those Washingtonians who have received the Medal of Honor, the highest distinction that can be awarded to a member of the armed forces of the United States. The medal is presented by the president to those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty while serving our country. Throughout the medal’s history, fewer than 3,500 individuals have received this supreme honor — mostly after their deaths.
Korean War Memorial
Location: East Campus Plaza next to the Capitol Way skybridge
Dedication date: July 24, 1993
Significance: According to the bill that authorized the project, the memorial was established “ to express the gratitude of the citizens of this state for all who served in Korea, and to project the spirit of service, willingness to sacrifice, and dedication to freedom in remembering those Washingtonians who lost their lives in the war.” Roughly 122,000 Washington soldiers served in Korea, now often referred to as the forgotten war; 532 of these troops were killed.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Location: East lawn of the Insurance Building on the west campus
Dedication date: May 25, 1987
Significance: Etched into the wall are the names of the 1,123 Washingtonians killed or missing in the Vietnam War, positioned in such a way that they can be touched and read by all, including children and those in wheelchairs. The names are listed chronologically by date of death from July, 1963 to May, 1975 beginning on the right side of the wall and continuing left around the memorial.
