WASHINGTON — The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial was dedicated on the National Mall on Saturday, October 24, and welcomed into the National Park System, the U.S. Department of the Interior said. The memorial honors the Americans who served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and remembers those who lost their lives.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Oct. 24, 2026
The memorial commemorates the service of American service members and the international coalition that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi forces in 1991. It honors the roughly 700,000 Americans who served, along with coalition partners from nearly 40 countries that protected Saudi Arabia and liberated Kuwait, according to the U.S. State Department's ShareAmerica.
Source: ShareAmerica (U.S. Department of State), Oct. 2026
"The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial honors the courage of the Americans who answered our nation's call, the sacrifice of those who never returned home and the families who supported them," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. "Here on the National Mall, their service will be remembered with the gratitude and respect it deserves, and their legacy will endure for generations."
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Oct. 24, 2026
Developed by the National Desert Storm Memorial Association, the memorial draws inspiration from a desert oasis: curving walls evoke sand dunes and surround a shaded grove with trees and water. A sculpted relief wall depicts the conflict and the liberation of Kuwait, and the Unity Shield honors the international coalition with symbols representing the coalition nations. Association chief executive Scott Stump, a Gulf War Marine veteran, began the push for the memorial in 2010, fearing the war was fading from public memory, ShareAmerica reported.
Source: ShareAmerica (U.S. Department of State), Oct. 2026
"The National Park Service is honored to welcome the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial into our care," said Jessica Bowron, the official exercising the delegated authority of the NPS director. The memorial, near the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.