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District of Columbia War Memorial.
Despite its location and age, visitors have often overlooked this memorial on the National Mall that was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover in 1931. Unlike the neighboring memorials on the National Mall, this relatively small structure isn’t a national memorial. The 47-foot-high memorial is dedicated to the 499 men and women (military and civilian) from Washington, D.C., who died in the Great War. Unofficially referred to as the World War I memorial, the open-air marble dome was in disrepair and hidden by trees for decades. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the memorial was restored to its original grandeur and is now maintained by the National Park Service. On November 10, 2011, the memorial, which had the John Phillip Sousa band playing at its original dedication, was rededicated as local musicians from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts performed. | Independence Ave. SW, North side, between World War II Memorial and Lincoln Memorial, The Mall | 20024 | 202/426–6841 | www.nps.gov | 24 hrs; staffed daily 9:30 am–11:30 pm | Station: Foggy Bottom.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
These 3-foot-high walls bear the names of approximately 20,000 American police officers killed in the line of duty since 1791. On the third line of panel 13W are the names of six officers killed by William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. J. D. Tippit, the Dallas policeman killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, is honored on the ninth line of panel 63E. Other names include the 72 officers who died due to 9/11. Directories there allow you to look up officers by name, date of death, state, and department. Call to arrange for a free tour. A National Law Enforcement Museum is in the works, scheduled for completion by early 2014; until then, a small visitor center (400 7th St. NW) has a computer for looking up names, a display on the history of law enforcement, and a small gift shop. For a self-guided cell phone tour, call 202/747–3461. | 400 block of E St. NW, Penn Quarter | 20004 | 202/737–3400 | www.lawmemorial.org | Free | Weekdays 9–5, Sat. 10–5, Sun. noon–5 | Station: Judiciary Square.

Pentagon Memorial.
Washington’s own “9/11 memorial” commemorates the 184 people who perished when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the northwest side of the Pentagon. Benches engraved with the victims’ names are arranged in order by date of birth and where they were when they died. The names of the victims who were inside the Pentagon are arranged so that visitors reading their names face the Pentagon, and names of the victims on the plane are arranged so that visitors reading their names face skyward. Designed by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman, the memorial opened to the public on September 11, 2008, the seventh anniversary of the attacks. Volunteer docents periodically stand near the entrance and answer questions. Parking for the memorial is extremely limited and not well marked; take the Metro instead. | 1 Rotary Rd., Pentagon | Arlington, Virginia | 20301 | 301/740–3388 | www.whs.mil/memorial | Free | 24 hrs; restroom facilities 7 am–10 pm | Station: Pentagon.

United States Air Force Memorial.
Three stainless-steel, asymmetrical spires slice through the skyline up to 270 feet, representing flight, the precision of the “bomb burst” maneuver performed by the Air Force Thunderbirds, and the three core values of the Air Force: integrity, service, and excellence. The spires are adjacent to the southern portion of Arlington National Cemetery and visible from the Tidal Basin and I–395 near Washington. At the base of the spires is an 8-foot statue of the honor guard, a glass wall engraved with the missing man formation, and granite walls inscribed with Air Force values and accomplishments. | 1 Air Force Memorial Dr., off Columbia Pike | Arlington, Virginia | 22204 | 703/979–0674 | www.airforcememorial.org | Free | Apr.–Sept., daily 8 am–11 pm; Oct.–Mar., daily 8 am–9 pm | Station: Pentagon.

United States Navy Memorial.
Although Pierre L’Enfant included a Navy Memorial in his plans for Washington, D.C., it wasn’t until 1987 that one was built. The main attraction here is an 860-ton, 100-foot-in-diameter granite map of the world, known as the Granite Sea. It’s surrounded by fountains, benches, and six ship masts. The Lone Sailor, a 7-foot-tall statue, stands on the map in the Pacific Ocean between the United States and Japan. The Naval Heritage Center, next to the memorial in the Market Square East Building, displays videos and exhibits of uniforms, medals, and other aspects of Navy life. If you’ve served in the Navy, you can enter your record of service into the Navy Log here. The theater shows a rotating series of Navy-related movies throughout the day. Bronze relief panels on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the memorial depict 26 scenes commemorating events in the nation’s naval history and honoring naval communities. TIP The panels are at a perfect height for children to look at and touch; challenge your child to find these items: a helicopter, a seagull, a U.S. flag, a sailor with binoculars, a dog, penguins, and seals. If you look carefully at the flagpole nearest the entrance to the Heritage Center, you’ll see a time capsule, scheduled to be opened in 2093. | 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Downtown | 20004 | 202/737–2300 | www.navymemorial.org | Free | 24 hrs; Naval Heritage Center Daily 9:30–5 | Station: Archives/Navy Memorial.

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