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Women in Military Service for America Memorial

1997 establishments in VirginiaBuildings and structures completed in 1997George Washington Memorial ParkwayHistoric districts on the National Register of Historic Places in VirginiaMilitary and war museums in Virginia
Monuments and memorials in VirginiaMonuments and memorials to womenMuseums in Arlington County, VirginiaNRHP infobox with nocatNational Register of Historic Places in Arlington County, VirginiaWomen's museums in the United StatesWomen in the United States military
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Womeninmilservicememor large

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, in the United States. The structure in which the memorial is housed was originally known as the Hemicycle, and built in 1932 to be a ceremonial entrance to the cemetery. It never served this purpose, 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Women in Military Service for America Memorial (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Women in Military Service for America Memorial
Eisenhower Drive, Arlington

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N 38.880555555556 ° E -77.066666666667 °
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Eisenhower Drive

Eisenhower Drive
20301 Arlington
Virginia, United States
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Powell Clayton
Powell Clayton

Powell Foulk Clayton (August 7, 1833 – August 25, 1914) was an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served as the 9th governor of Arkansas from 1868 to 1871, as a Republican member of the U.S. Senate for Arkansas from 1871 to 1877 and as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico from 1897 to 1905. During the American Civil War, he served as a senior officer of United States Volunteers and commanded cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. After the war, he married a woman from Arkansas, purchased a plantation and settled in Jefferson County. He was active in the Arkansas Republican party and became governor after military rule was lifted and the Arkansas state constitution was ratified by Congress. He was viewed as a carpetbagger and implemented martial law in Arkansas for four months due to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and violence against African-Americans and Republicans. The Arkansas Republican party splintered during Clayton's governorship. Clayton and his followers were known as Minstrels and a more conservative faction led by Joseph Brooks were known as Brindletails. The power struggle between the groups resulted in the impeachment of Clayton in 1871 and the Brooks-Baxter War. Clayton was elected to the U.S. Senate for Arkansas in March 1871. A U.S. Senate Joint Select Committee investigated him for claims made by his political rivals that he issued fraudulent election credentials during his time as governor. He was acquitted of these charges and returned to Arkansas after losing his Senate seat in 1877 when Democrats took control of the Arkansas legislature. He remained active in the Republican National Committee and helped William McKinley receive the Republican nomination for president in 1896. He was rewarded for his support of McKinley with an assignment as Ambassador to Mexico. In 1882, Clayton established a home in the developing resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He was president of the Eureka Springs Improvement Company and worked to develop commercial and residential properties. In 1883, he became president of the Eureka Springs Railroad which provided rail service to the developing community. He died in Washington, D.C. in 1914 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.