Popular war memorials around the world

Jan28,2024

Credit: Google

Among the most significant is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, which stands as the largest war memorial in the world, stretching from Torquay to Allansford near Warrnambool. It was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 as a tribute to their fallen comrades.

Memorial Arch on Great Ocean Road

Inaugurated in 2004, it commemorates the 16 million Americans who served in the Second World War. The Peace Wall within the complex features 4,048 gilded stars, each representing 100 American lives lost during the war.

National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also in Washington, D.C., is another iconic site, with its black granite walls etched with the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who died or went missing in action.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, marks the resting place for many American soldiers who perished during the D-Day landings. 

Normandy American Cemetery, France

The Monument to the Women of World War II in London honors the diverse roles women played during the war, symbolized by 17 different items of clothing sculpted onto the monument.

Women of World War II, London

Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines pays tribute to those who fought and died in the region during World War II, with graves arranged in concentric rings around a central memorial. 

Manila American Cemetery

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is a solemn site marking the resting place of over a thousand sailors and Marines killed during the infamous attack that drew the United States into World War II.

Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, which honors unidentified soldiers from major conflicts, and the Marine Corps War Memorial, depicting the iconic flag-raising at Iwo Jima.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Virginia

In Eastern Europe, the Alyosha Monument in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, stands tall as a representation of Soviet soldiers who liberated Bulgaria, while the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation in Paris remembers those deported from Vichy France to Nazi concentration camps.

Alyosha Monument, Bulgaria