Strolling the National Mall is a Memorial Day must-do. Start with honoring the most famous war general in U.S. History by visiting the Washington Monument. From there, pay your respects at the National World War II Memorial, which was dedicated in 2004. Etched with 58,621 soldiers’ names, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed in 1981 by Maya Ying Lin, a 21 year-old architecture student at Yale. Next up, trek to the Lincoln Memorial to read one of the most powerful speeches on sacrifice: the Gettysburg Address. Nearby, the Korean War Veterans Memorial provides a unique empathetic experience with its 19 life-like, poncho-clad soldier statues.
