An F-22 Raptor fighter jet.
On Friday (16), the opening ceremony of the new World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., featured the raising of the flag and a flight demonstration by two F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The startling noise caught D.C. residents off guard, and even speeches by Vice President Kamala Harris (Hejinn) and White House press secretary Jen Psaki were interrupted.
While there are a number of landmarks commemorating World War I in Washington, D.C., there is no World War I National Memorial, and in 2014, Congress authorized the construction of a new World War I Memorial.
In a virtual address during the ceremony, President Biden paid tribute to the 4.7 million Americans who served in World War I and the 116,516 who lost their lives in the war.
The new memorial is located in Pansing Park, just one block from the White House, and features a fountain and sculpture. The most impressive part of the opening ceremony was the flyover of two fighter jets over downtown Washington, D.C. Many people who were unaware of the program were taken aback.
Joe Lowry, the House director of emergency preparedness, tweeted that the two planes were F-22 Raptors.
The sudden loud roar disturbed Harris as she was welcoming visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. She stopped speaking at one point and looked up, apparently surprised by the noise.
Psaki, who was doing her daily news briefing, was also interrupted, saying from the briefing room, “Wow! There’s a plane right overhead.”
Many people in Washington, D.C., were startled. “Why weren’t residents notified in advance! I’m hallucinating, like I’m reenacting 9/11 and the attack!” Lisa Amore, a D.C. marketing and public relations executive, tweeted.
Another D.C. resident wrote, “DC is a restricted airspace zone, so every time I hear a plane or jet, I think it’s an attack or a response to a threat. Heck, now I have anxiety.”
The U.S. F-22, also known as the Raptor, is the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Its stealth, agility, accuracy, electronics awareness and air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities make it the most versatile fighter in the world today.
The new World War I Memorial will be open to the public on Saturday.
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