Washington D.C.: home of the Smithsonian, the Capital, the White House, and many memorials to presidents, those who were killed in duty in the military, and several significant figures. At night, these memorials become almost magical. The World War II memorial is especially beautiful, with the fountains illuminated from under the water.

Photo credit: Rick Latoff / American Battle Monuments Commission

The memorial was originally designed by Friedrich St. Florian. The design was altered by a board created by President Bill Clinton. The groundbreaking for the memorial was in September of 2001. The memorial was opened on April 29, 2004.

It honors the 16 million who served in the US Armed Forces, the more than 400,000 that died, and those who supported the war effort from home.  It is flanked by the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. http://wwiimemorial.com/

The song in the video is America the Beautiful; I played on an acoustic guitar over two tracks, including the sound of the water from the fountain.

Something about this fountain speaks to me, reminds me of the sacrifices of our veterans. That was someone's father, someone's son, someone's husband, who gave his life for America. I don't want them to be forgotten.

Harrison Boyink is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program