Planning is underway for a World War I Memorial to be erected at Pershing Park in Washington, D.C. Surprisingly, while there are memorials to World War II, the Korean war, and Vietnam, there is not one for World War I, which involved 4.7 million American soldiers and led to more than 116,000 battle deaths.

The proposal under consideration calls for appropriate sculptural and commemorative elements, as well as improved landscaping. Unfortunately, gleaning some of the details is difficult during the federal government shutdown, as the National Park Service planning website is off-line. 

The memorial is meant to further honor the service members of the U.S. Armed Forces in World War I. The memorial design and construction is being managed by the United States World War One Centennial Commission. If you visit that organization's website, you can see an interactive presentation that depicts where in Washington the memorial would go. There also are some videos on the site that discuss the planning for the memorial and show the concept for the park.

The National Park Service is seeking comments on the proposal through January 18, 2019, though whether that date changes due to the shutdown remains to be seen.

The Draft Environmental Assessment describes how the proposed national World War I Memorial will enhance Pershing Park (located on Pennsylvania Avenue, between 14th Street NW & 15th Street NW). Once the shutdown ends, you should be able to visit the planning website, read the documents outlining the work that would be done, and leave your comments. 

Comments may also be submitted in writing to:

Acting Superintendent Patricia Trap
National Mall and Memorial Parks
900 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20024
ATTN: World War I Memorial