Families kept lining up at a military monument on the National Mall, so it stayed for Veterans Day
Dubbed the National Military Monument, the installation was supposed to last less than a month, but the company says families just kept coming—and so it’s sticking around for Veterans Day after the company sought an extension to keep up with the overwhelming number of visitors.
Key points
- The goal is to honor everyone who has served since the Revolutionary War: Veterans who came home, those killed in war, and military personnel who are still serving today.
- Because the monument stands on public parkland, USAA secured a special-use art installation permit from the National Park Service, Bove said.
- Families can still visit through Veterans Day on Nov.
This year, to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, the insurance and banking company USAA, which serves military members, veterans, and their families, built two giant American flags displaying the names of over 41 million military service members.
Additional details
- A 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center destroyed roughly 16 million to 18 million military personnel files.
- Families can use the monument’s website to search and submit missing names and additional records for inclusion.
- Delbert “Ray” Houlette, a 95-year-old Marine who served in the Korean War, was shown a photograph of his name on the monument after a friend of a FOX5 reporter helped arrange it.
- Visitors can search for a relative or even themselves at interactive kiosks, and USAA staff are available on-site to help bring up individual names on the monument’s screens.
- Remembering those who served Some families traveled from afar and were pleasantly surprised to find the name of someone they love on the screen, long waits be damned.
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