ARLINGTON, Va. (AFRNS) -- Construction crews, on Feb. 10, raised the first piece of the Air Force Memorial here on top of a hill overlooking Arlington National Cemetery.

The 40-foot long piece of stainless steel, which weighs more than 28 tons, is the first of 15 pieces to be placed. When completed, the memorial will be 270 feet tall.

"The design is a take-off on the Air Force (jet aircraft) doing the bomb burst maneuver ... also, that graceful arc of a missile launch and there are three spires," said retired Maj. Gen. Ed Grillo, Air Force Memorial Foundation president.

The three upward spires represent the Air Force's core values -- integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do.

"We thought that was very emblematic of representing today's Air Force," he said.

The memorial is scheduled to open Oct. 13 in conjunction with the Air Force's year-long celebration of its 60th anniversary.

The memorial will also include a bronze honor guard, inscription walls and a glass chamber of contemplation to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

"There have been a total, including our predecessor organizations, of over 54,000 people that have been killed in action. We need a tribute and it's long overdue to the United States Air Force," General Grillo said.

To find out more about the memorial, visit the Web site at www.airforcememorial.org/.