Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. I'm James Kamara Sami and I'm at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Surrounding its centrepiece rainbow pool, there are 56 stone pillars with metallic laurel wreaths. They represent America's 48 states and eight territories at the time of World War II.

And between the giant Washington monument on my right and the impressive Lincoln Memorial on my left.

This is a space where Americans from around the country come to reflect on their role in World War II

and the world, the United States States helped to forge in its aftermath.

We were the big, bright, shining light that everyone wanted,

certainly Winston Churchill, wanted the U.S. to enter the war earlier.

At the end of it, you know, we were responsible for changing the world order.

And how do you feel about that as an American? Oh, well, well, I feel very proud. I'm a former soldier,

much, much later, of course, but my father served in World War II in Italy. So I grew up with this

history. I feel inspired coming here. This place has such an influence. It reminds us the struggle

and the spirit, human spirit, that we overcame through the war. It also gives you a calmness

and peace.

This memorial was opened in 2004, a few months before I moved to Washington, D.C. to become a BBC correspondent here.

It was a time when America was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Americans were questioning whether they should be restoring freedom and ending tyranny

as an inscription on one of the flagpoles that this memorial reads.

I'm back at a time when the early weeks of President Trump's second term

have made people not just here but across the world

wonder whether something fundamental is changing about US foreign policy.

The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedom.

If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world, and we shall surely

endanger the welfare of this nation.

...