**UNDER CONSTRUCTION, STILL IN RESEARCH**

Flanked on either side by the Lincoln Memorial and the National Capital, the National Mall totes itself as being America's Back Yard, as it attempts to pull in the interests of everyone with several monuments, museums, as well as open spaces for people to stretch their legs, take a jog, or just have a picnic. The Mall is a rectangular shape with its longest dimension running roughly east-west. The mall is divided into two halves by the Washington Monument, east of which lies the Capital Building, and a large number of the Smithsonian Institute museums, and to the west are several monuments, many to the service men and women who fought and died overseas in several conflicts. Any and every building on the National Mall could probably have a full article written about them, but for the sake of brevity for this article, only a tourist overview will be made. Future articles may cover some of the more historically interesting buildings in more depth.

The format of this article will begin with a roughly west-to-east exploration of the sites of the Mall in breif, followed by general visitor's information for the Mall in general, including how to take advantage of public transportation, as attempting to drive to the Mall should only be attempted by the foolish of heart, or members of Congress (who have their own parking lot, and tend to be rather foolish as well).

The Sights Of The Mall

The Lincoln Memorial

Known as the Great Emancipator for freeing the slaves of America, Abraham Lincoln commands a position of authority with his monument presiding at the far west end of the National Mall. The centerpiece of the memorial is a larger-than-life statue of Lincoln by noted sculptor Daniel Chester French. On the walls of the memorial are featured some of Lincoln's most famous speaches, including the Gettysburg Address that adorns the south wall of the memorial, and opposite that on the north wall his second inaugural address. Be prepared for a bit of a workout if you plan to visit the memorial, as it requires the scaling of several flights of marble stairs to reach the memorial level. There are contingincies for the diabled, but anyone of able legs is asked to walk it.

There is a secondary display at the memorial that is frequented most by people who have seen the memorial itself before and are looking for a different view, or people who stumble upon it while looking for the bathrooms. It features the creation of the Lincoln Memorial, which can be just as fascinating at the Memorial itself. There is also offered the chance to gaze under the Memorial, which has taken on a cavernous look because of the flow of water.

The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial

Perhaps one of the most powerful of the features of the Mall is a simple black wall etched with row after row of names, each belonging to an American serviceman who gave his life in the Vietnam conflict. The conflict itself is perhaps one of the most misunderstood parts of American history, and those who fought in the Asian battlefields were all too often mere boys drafted and sent overseas by a government that didn't seem to care, and came back to derisive stares and hate rather than the heroes welcomes they may have deserved.

The wall rises up out of the ground, following the escalation of the war, and dividing the names into the years that they fell in the Vietnam conflict. The names are all carved in relief on the surface, and one of the more common methods of honoring a family member or friend is to leave flowers at the base of the proper wall segment, and making a rubbing of the name. The needed resources to make a rubbing are often on hand, and the process is quite easy. There is an understadably sober feel to the area around the wall, and it is often requested that this is maintained, so keeping kids behaved is usually a must, especially those who may not understand the significance of the names.

Also on site is the more recent Vietnam Women's Memorial, which was errected to the dedication of those women sent over to Vietnam, often as nurses for the fighting force. The Wall and Memorial is located on the North side of the mall.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial

Opposite the Vietnam Memorial is the more recent Korean War Vetrans Memorial. The monument was erected in memorium of those who gave their lives in another conflict in the south of Asia, fighting to maintain the freedom of South Korea. Perhaps the most lingering memory of this war in the minds of many Americans is the television show M*A*S*H, and the memorial is an attempt to put a more solemn light on the conflict.

The memorial features 19 lifesized steel soldiers that march up out of the grounds of the Mall, and are flanked by a gigantic mural wall. On the wall are etched 2,500 photographic images of those who fought in the war, creating an almost ghostly eerieness to the experience. Again, the attempt is to make a somber air of reflection (many of the images on the wall are made to look as though they are reflected in the same way the visitor's visage reflects on the shiny black surface), a feeling that is asked to be maintained.

The FDR Memorial

The newest of the presidential memorials in DC is the one devoted to Franklin Delano Roosevelt who broke precident and ran for four terms of office instead of the two that had stood since Washington's days. Since the Constitutional amendment to limit terms was not introduced until after his presidency (and, in part, because of his presidency), he was more than free to do so. For this reason he served as president through most of the Great Depression of the 30s and World War II.

The memorial, in a word, is expansive. There are four giant outdoor "rooms," each devoted to one of his terms in office, including his final term which was cut short during WWII. The monument was not without its contovercies when it was being constructed. Most notably was the controversy surrounding the wheel chair that FDR was confined to due to a childhood attack of Polio. Roosevelt himself always downplayed the disability, and was very rarely photographed in his chair, but it was felt an important enough part of his life to include a 10 foot bronze statue of him in the chair, flanked by his beloved terrier Fala.

The memorial is set off from the mall, and can be approached from either end, though it is suggested that one start at the beginning, as the memorial is set up to be chronological. There are several fountains set up for those feeling more reflective at the memorial. Avoid entering the fountains, however, as the park service has been enforcing regulations due to large groups of day care kids being brought to the monument in swimsuits for the sole purpose of a quick dip. There is a very nice gift shop at one end of the memorial that offers various momentos of FDR's life, and the period of time he served as president. There are, of course, plushed animals of his beloved Fala.

DC War Memorial

One of the smaller, and least known, of the attractions is the DC War Memorial. It takes the form of a small domed structure that resembles a concrete Gazebo, or a smaller version of the Jefferson Memorial in the Tidal Basin. Much as the name implies, it is meant to serve as a reminder of the impact that Washington DC and its residents have played in various conflicts over the ages. Hidden in among the trees, it can be a very attractive site from a distance, but few people do more than take advantage of its long distance photogenic nature.

Constitution Gardens

Located on the north side of the Mall, and down from the Vietnam Memorial is a parcel of land designed to be an oasis within the mall. Lobbying that began with Richard M Nixon led to the creation of a large pond, paths, and plantings of trees, shrubs, and flowers in an attempt to make the Mall more beautiful. This was quite an improvement, as "temporary" Naval buildings had occupied this land for several decades before the dedication of the Gardens. Also located within the Gardens is the appropriately (albeit loquatiously) named The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independance Memorial. These men were signing a document that many thought would be equivilant of a death sentence, but went ahead with a sheet of paper that began the movement towards the seperation of the United States from England.

Since most tourists approach the Vietnam Memorial from the east, due to locations of Metro stops, this can act as a very lovely approach from which the black wall slowly begins to appear in the distance.

World War II Memorial

Not yet built, the World War II Memorial has been slated to be built on a parcel of land that surrounds the Rainbow Pool, at the end of the long Reflecting Pool that creates the median to the western half of the Mall. This placement is quite controversial, as many question the need of making the Memorial so front-and-center on the Mall. The design consists of sweeping marble walls and pillars, as well as an inclusion of the names of those Americans who gave their lives in the conflict. History will yet judge how the memorial to the "Greatest Generation" will be accepted.

John Paul Jones Memorial

A small memorial on the mall was erected for perhaps the first great naval hero in American history. This is the only memorial to an individual who did not serve as president on the National Mall. The memorial itself is a simple statue of Jones in a period uniform and stepping forward. There are many such statues in various locations around DC, but the positioning of this one on the Mall makes it slightly more significat. The memorial is located on a median within 17th Street on the extreme south of the mall.