United States Air Force Memorial, Arlington (must see)

The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service of the personnel of the United States Air Force and its predecessors. The Memorial is located in Arlington on the grounds of Fort Myer near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. It was the last project of American architect James Ingo Freed.

In January 1992, the Air Force Memorial Foundation was incorporated to pursue the development of a memorial that would honor the people in the United States Air Force. The memorial was dedicated on 14 October 2006, with approximately 30,000 persons attending. The keynote address was delivered by President Bush, a former F-102 Delta Dagger pilot in the National Guard. The first official ceremony at the memorial was held the next day.

The three memorial spires range from 201 feet to 270 feet high and appear to be soaring; its array of stainless steel arcs against the sky evoke the image of "contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back in a precision 'bomb burst' maneuver." The two inscription walls are located at each end of the central lawn. The walls are 56 feet in length, 10 feet in height and one foot thick. Both walls are made of polished Jet Mist granite and include a two and a half inch outer inscription panel made from Absolute Black granite. In addition to hosting over 200,000 visitors throughout the year, the Air Force Memorial is the scene for more than 200 ceremonies, special events, wreath laying, tours, weddings, and United States Air Force Band Concerts throughout the year.