Women in Military Service for America Memorial

Women in Military Service for America Memorial
Location of Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia
Location	Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Coordinates	38°52′50″N 77°4′00″W / 38.88056°N 77.06667°W / 38.88056; -77.06667
Area	4.2 acres (1.7 ha)
Established	October 17, 1997
Visitors	200,000[1] (in 2016)
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	www.womensmemorial.org
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Architect	Weiss/Manfredi
NRHP reference No.	95000605[2]
Added to NRHP	November 13, 1982

The Women In Military Service For America Memorial, also known as Military Women's Memorial, is a memorial established by the U.S. federal government which honors women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial is located at the western end of Memorial Avenue at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.

The structure that houses the memorial was originally known as the Hemicycle, and was built in 1932 to be a ceremonial entrance to the cemetery. It never served this purpose, however, and was in disrepair by 1986. Congress approved the memorial in 1985, and the Hemicycle approved as the site for the memorial in 1988. An open design competition was won by New York City architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi. Their original design was leaked to the public, and caused significant controversy. Two years of fund-raising and design revision followed. A revised preliminary design was approved in July 1992, and the final design in March 1995. Ground was broken for the memorial in June 1995, and the structure was dedicated on October 18, 1997.

The memorial is notable for its successful mixing of Neoclassical and Modern architecture. The memorial largely retained the Hemicycle, but added a widely praised skylight on the Hemicycle terrace that incorporates not only memorials to servicewomen but also acts as a transition to the memorial below. Construction of the memorial, however, generated a lawsuit when a nearby pylon (part of the gateway to the cemetery) was damaged. Raising funds to pay off the construction debt incurred by the memorial took several years.