The Virginia War Memorial built in 1955, was originally designed as a World War II and Korean War Memorial for Virginians who had made the ultimate sacrifice in battle. In 1980, the Shrine was enlarged to honor those Virginians killed in action in the Vietnam War. In 1996, the names of Virginians killed in action during Desert Storm/Desert Shield were added. Today, there are nearly 12,000 Virginians whose names are engraved on the Shrine of Memory’s glass and stone walls.