The World War II Memorial commemorates the sacrifice of the three thousand women and men of Boston who lost their lives in the war. A tall shaft, with an eternal light at its top, dominates the monument. Standing in front of the shaft is a monumental bronze winged female figure representing Victory. She holds in her outstretched hands a sheathed sword, symbolizing the end of war, and an olive branch, symbolizing peace. The tall granite ellipse behind the shaft carries bronze plaques bearing the names of the war dead. The Victory figure is by the sculptor John Paramino, whose sculptures and plaques can be found throughout the Boston area. The monument was designed by the architect Tito Cascieri and erected in 1949. Since then memorials for Bostonians who lost their lives in the Korean and Vietnam Wars have been erected opposite the World War II Memorial.