Legion a long-time supporter of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, the first memorial honoring country's 4 million disabled veterans.
America’s 4 million disabled veterans will soon be honored with the dedication of the nation’s first memorial specifically designed for them.
After more than 15 years of planning, federal agency authorizations, congressional legislation and actual construction – as well as roughly $80 million - the 2.4-acre, triangular memorial has become a reality. Located in Washington, D.C., the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial will be officially dedicated with a public ceremony Oct. 5.
“We wanted to honor disabled veterans, first,” said Arthur H. Wilson, who co-founded and is now president of the Disabled Veterans' Life Memorial Foundation, Inc. “That’s how the idea was conceived. There are nearly 4 million and countless others who have already passed away. There will be more in the future as long as we have a military, as long as we have conflicts or skirmishes this country is involved in to protect our freedom.”
The American Legion has been active in supporting the memorial through donations and a resolution passed by the National Executive Committee in 2009. Gene Murphy, a 35-year member of American Legion Post 15 in Sioux Falls, S.D., has served on the foundation’s Board of Directors since 1998.
“We received donations from over a million donors – individuals, corporations, foundations and veterans service organizations,” said Murphy, the group’s treasurer. “Many of The American Legion members and posts, and Auxiliary members and units, donated to this memorial. Of course, the cost was around $80 million. We thank the American people and The American Legion organization and its members.”
Those who helped conceive and support the memorial envisioned its presence as a way to honor disabled veterans and educate others.
“We honor branches of the military. We honor the wars. We honor individual people,” Wilson said. “This memorial is unique in the sense that we honor all disabled veterans who are living and those who have gone before us and those who are yet to come. We honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country but we do not honor those who became disabled in service and lived with the disability for the rest of their life. It affects their life, their livelihood, their mental state, all of those things. It needs to be acknowledged by the American people, and I think that this will help.”
The memorial site, 150 Washington Ave., is adjacent to Bartholdi Park with a clear view of the Capitol. The site selection was no accident.
“We chose the site, just below the Capitol, so those working in Washington at the Capitol - the elected representatives and their staffs - would be reminded every day of the people who became disabled in service to their country,” Wilson said.
The Oct.5 dedication ceremony, which is free and open to the public, begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. Check-in and registration opens at 8:30 a.m. While there is no assigned general seating, registration is required and will be open until event capacity is reached. A maximum of four guests can be registered at a time.
Visit the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial's dedication page to register: http://www.avdlm.org/dedication.
- Honor & Remembrance