New sculpture unveiled for World War I memorial in D.C.

The World War I memorial is now complete, after the addition of its final piece — a 58-foot-long bronze sculpture.

Why it matters: It took over a decade to plan and build a national memorial to the Great War in D.C. It opened unfinished in 2021 on Pennsylvania Avenue NW adjacent to the Treasury Department.

Zoom in: The newly unveiled sculpture — titled "A Soldier's Journey" — is the centerpiece.

• The sculpture depicts a man receiving a soldier's helmet from his daughter and shipping out, fights in the battlefield, nurses treating injuries, and a post-war return home, the Washington Post wrote .

It honors the 4.7 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces during the war.

• Artist Sabin Howard forged the 25-ton sculpture in Stroud, England.

Separately, the lesser-known District of Columbia War Memorial (est. 1931) honors the more than 26,000 residents and citizens of the city who took part in the war.