Air Force War Memorial coin

Championed by a small group of Air Force Association (AFA) and Air Force Sergeant’s Association (AFSA) executives, the building of an Air Force Memorial in the National Capital Region gained momentum in 1991. Led by Mr. Oliver R. “Ollie” Crawford, the AFA president at the time and former WWII Curtiss P-40 Pilot, the Air Force Memorial Foundation incorporated as a 501c3 organization in January 1992.

Selected by the Foundation in April 2002, the architect, James Ingo Freed, of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, used the contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back in a precision ‘bomb burst’ maneuver as inspiration.  The design challenge to make air palpable while simultaneously evoking the continual technological advances of the Air Force resulted in the three stainless steel spires “Soaring to Glory.” From 2004 to 2006, the Centex Construction Company oversaw the work to prepare the site, construct the formal processional, parade ground and Chamber of Contemplation and build, assemble and erect the spires and the inscription walls.

The Air Force Memorial is a gift to the United States and is managed by the Air Force. Dedicated on October 14, 2006, the Air Force Memorial rises on a promontory overlooking the Pentagon and the Potomac River and is the Virginia gateway into the National Memorial Corridor.

This coin features the  iconic Air Force Memorial and the 3 contrails on the obverse, and the reverse bears the wing and star emblem of the new Air Force symbol is based on the familiar World War II “Hap” Arnold wings and represents the service’s heritage. The symbol’s modern design represents the Air Force’s present and future leading edge capabilities defending the United States.

Minted in a brass alloy and finished in antique silver, the coin is imbued with rich enamel accents on both sides.