National Desert Storm memorial steams ahead
Former President George H. W. Bush talks to troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiviing Day, 1990. Wikimedia Commons photo

National Desert Storm memorial steams ahead

With 2016 marking the 25th anniversary of the first Gulf War conflict, the campaign for a national memorial is charging forward.

The board of directors of the National Desert Storm War Memorial (NDSWM) Association has gained an honorary chairman: President George H.W. Bush, commander in chief during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Association head Scott Stump commented in a press release, “I can think of no more dogged advocate for our Desert Storm veterans than President Bush. His leadership will surely guide us to mission success.”

NDSWM has set a goal of raising $25 million toward construction of the memorial in this 25th anniversary year; the current estimated budget is $40 million, with a planned completion date of 2018.

The next step toward completion was taken Jan. 28, when the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission - which oversees commemorative works in the District of Columbia and its environs - delivered a recommendation for the Desert Storm memorial to be located in Area I in Washington, D.C., close to existing national war memorials, the Mall and White House, and more. According to the U.S. Code, Area I is only approved if "the subject of the commemorative work is of pre-eminent historical and lasting significance to the United States."

The American Legion passed a resolution supporting the memorial at the 95th National Convention in Houston. Keep up with the latest news at the NDSWM website.