Feb 3, 2023 - News

D.C. memorial to honor women's role in World War II is approved

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Eleanor Holmes Norton and Raya Kenney with a model of the V shaped memorial — Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Raya Kenney with a model of the memorial. Photo courtesy Raya Kenney

A new monument honoring women who worked on the homefront during World War II is close to coming to the District.

Driving the news: The D.C. native who as a fifth grader first thought up the idea will attend President Biden’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Raya Kenney, now 21 and an art history major at Kenyon College, has spent years pitching a memorial recognizing the millions of women who stepped into jobs previously filled by men.

They worked in defense factories, joined the Red Cross, and served in the military.

State of play: Kenney will be a guest of D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton at Biden’s address.

Congress approved her idea as part of an omnibus bill last December, and Biden signed it into law.

What’s next: The project will need to be privately funded, according to its website.

The current design envisions 20 black granite pillars etched with the names of jobs that women filled during the war effort. The pillar would form a “V” shape to signify victory.
Kenney told WUSA9 that she hopes a location can be found and that the memorial can be built within seven years.

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D.C. memorial to honor women's role in World War II is approved

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