WWI memorial officially opens

A memorial to the

dead of World War I opened in Washington on Friday, after years of tangling among preservationists, urban planners, federal officials and the commission that realized its creation.

The first flag was raised at the memorial in Pershing Park near the White House — rather than along the National Mall, where many supporters had envisioned. Fights over the memorial’s location, accuracy and scale have been part of its journey.

“Our objective was to build a memorial that would stand shoulder to shoulder with other monuments and elevate World War I in the American consciousness,” said Edwin Fountain, vice chairman of the World War I Centennial Commission.

Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press People visit the newly opened World War I Memorial in Washington. The tribute was constructed in Pershing Park — rather than along the National Mall, where many supporters had envisioned.