Purpose of the Memorial

Transcending conflicts, service branches and generations, the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial will express America's lasting gratitude to the men and women whose lives were forever changed in service to our country.

National statistics show that there are more than three million living disabled veterans, including thousands who have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Disabled Veterans for LIFE Memorial Foundation was created to educate the public on the issues related to disabled veterans. The Foundation needs to first rally the public by recognizing and honoring veterans in a public forum in order to bring public awareness to the needs of our disabled veterans. The Memorial will provide a place of healing and unity as well as point of education as it is important not to forget about disabled veterans after these wars are over.

Public Law 106-348

U.S. Congress approved the building of the Memorial with the passage of Public Law 106-348. Sponsors of the Act included Senator John McCain (AZ) and Former Senator Max Cleland (GA) and Representatives Sam Johnson (TX) and Jack Murtha (PA). In October 2000, President William J. Clinton signed the federal legislation into law. The law authorized the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. to establish the Memorial. By federal law, the entire cost of construction, plus 10 percent for the perpetual maintenance and preservation, must be in-hand before groundbreaking.

Memorial Foundation

The Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. was created in 1998 through the combined efforts of philanthropist Lois Pope, Foundation chairman; Arthur Wilson, National Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans; and the late Jesse Brown, former Secretary of Veteran Affairs. Formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Foundation's sole objective is to raise the estimated $86 million in private funds needed to design, build and permanently maintain the Memorial. The Foundation's Board of Directors includes the chairman, Mrs. Lois Pope, and president, Arthur H. Wilson. The Foundation subscribes to the Donor Bill of Rights, and is a registered charitable organization in all states and jurisdictions that require it.

Memorial Site Location

The Memorial site, approved in 2001, will be at Washington Avenue (Canal Street) and Second Street, SW. Within full view of the United States Capitol, the two-acre site is located adjacent to the National Mall, and across Independence Avenue from the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Memorial Designer

The Foundation began the Memorial's invitational design competition with more than 20 renowned architecture firms participating on Veterans Day, 2002. In July 2003, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd. was selected to design the Memorial. The firm's project list includes work at the National Cathedral, the U.S. Cemetery at Omaha Beach, the U.S. Supreme Court, Monticello, Montpelier, Gannett Corporate Headquarters, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Virginia.

Memorial Process

The estimated cost of the Memorial is $85 million. The Memorial's design concept was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts in 2004. The next step in the Memorial approval process is the preliminary design approval. With fundraising estimates, the Foundation anticipates that the Memorial will be dedicated in 2011.

Disabled Veterans Memorial Commemorative Coin Passes the House and Senate and is signed by the President on July 17, 2008

On January 23, 2007 U.S. Representatives Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced H.R. 634, legislation to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.

On May 15, 2007, the coin legislation passed the House of Representatives with a 416 to 0 vote. It is now passed to the Senate for parallel legislation.

Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) has twice introduced and successfully passed companion legislation in the Senate. In the 110th Congress, with a bi-partisan group of senators expressing their interest in sponsoring the legislation as well, the bill passed unanimously.

The Commemorative Coin legislation provides for the design, manufacture and sale of special $1 silver coins to commemorate living disabled American veterans and authorizes special surcharges on these coins to be contributed to the fund for construction of the Memorial.

On July 17, 2008 President Bush signed the Bill into law. The coins will be minted in 2010 and are expected to generate $3.5 million dollars towards the Memorial campaign.