A new memorial honoring the Americans who served in the first Gulf War will be dedicated in Washington DC this weekend, adding another site of remembrance to the National Mall.
The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial commemorates the U.S. service members who took part in military operations against Iraq in 1990 and 1991. The memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, at the southwest corner of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street NW.
The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. The event is more than a decade in the making, with the U.S. House of Representatives authorizing construction of the memorial all the way back in 2014.
What does the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial honor?
The memorial recognizes the nearly700,000 U.S. service
members who served during the Gulf War era, including those deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Its design draws inspiration from desert landscapes, with curved, golden-beige granite walls intended to evoke wind-sculpted dunes. A winding pathway leads visitors through the memorial, creating a more "contemplative space" amid the activity of the National Mall.
One of the memorial's main features is the Storm Wall, which stretches about 250 feet. Sculpted by Emily Bedard, the artwork depicts scenes from the military campaign, from the buildup of forces through the conflict and the liberation of Kuwait.
At the center of the memorial is a 28-foot-diameter bronze Unity Shield fountain engraved with the names of the 41 coalition nations. Water will cascade across the feature during warmer months.
The memorial also features two additional sculptures, one of an American bald eagle and another of a Kuwaiti falcon, which officials say represents the partnership between the U.S. and Kuwait during the conflict.
The project cost approximately $40 million and was funded through private donations, including major support from Kuwait.
It was designed to give Gulf War veterans a prominent place among the District's major war memorials, but its completion took more than a decade. President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the memorial in 2014, and President Donald Trump signed a bill three years later authorizing it to be built near the National Mall.
"I hope first and foremost Gulf War veterans feel like after all this time they have a spot on the mall that they feel is theirs," said Skip Graffam, design partner at OLIN.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A new war memorial is opening in Washington DC. What is it?
