Olympia - Retired Rear Admiral Herbert M. Bridge, USNR will deliver the keynote address when the Washington State World War II Memorial is re-dedicated on Tuesday, Dec. 7, on the state capitol campus in Olympia.

The public is invited to attend this event which will take place in a heated structure next to the memorial which is located between the north diagonal and 11th street on the main campus.

Simon Kogan, the Olympia artist who created the memorial in 1999, restored the memorial and recreated the ghost images on the five bronze blades, images which represent members of the armed forces as well as the civilians who participated in the conflict on the home front.

The 14-foot-high blades contain the names of the nearly 6,000 Washington residents killed in the war. The memorial's large granite stones are engraved with major battles fought by year.

The memorial is surrounded by nearly 3,000 granite tiles, which include engraved personal messages from families and friends of those who served during World War II. The tiles were installed last summer, replacing weathered original tiles, which were crushed and used as part of the base material for the new tiles. The summertime project also improved drainage around the memorial.

Parking is limited on the Capitol Campus! Please consider using off-site parking at the Olympia Farmers Market and the Free DASH Shuttle to the Capitol which runs every 15 minutes. Hourly parking is also available throughout downtown Olympia with access to the DASH shuttle on Capitol Way.

For additional information, please contact the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs at 360-725-2180.