OCTOBER 6, 2023 – The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (GWOTMF) announced a first-of-its-kind public input campaign titled, “Help Design History.” The campaign invites the public to share design insight for the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial, which will be built on a designated site on the National Mall.
The campaign will run for 22 days (Sept. 26 to Oct. 17), representing 22 years of America’s ongoing fight against terrorism. As part of this campaign, Americans have an opportunity to design history by providing their thoughts, inspirations and dreams for the Memorial that will honor those impacted by the Global War on Terrorism, including uniformed and non-uniformed military personnel, civilians, their families and everyday men and women who have sacrificed to protect our freedom. The campaign marks the first time Americans can provide design input for a memorial on the National Mall.
“The ‘Help Design History’ campaign reflects the foundation’s and my personal commitment to building the most comprehensive and inclusive war memorial in history,” said GWOTMF President and CEO Michael “Rod” Rodriguez. “It will help tell the entire story of how our nation has waged this multi-generational war and give a voice to all whom this incredibly complex conflict has impacted.
“We firmly believe that this approach, which has never been done before in designing a national war memorial, will reflect a diversity of experiences, service and sacrifice, thereby telling the story of the countless everyday Americans who stepped forward to serve us all.”
The Global War on Terrorism began as a response to the acts of 9/11. Spanning five continents, America’s longest modern-day war engages an unprecedented combination of uniformed and non-uniformed men and women serving their country. The announcement of the campaign coincides with the 22nd anniversary of CIA Operation Jawbreaker, the entry of “first-in” forces into Afghanistan on Sept. 26, 2001. The foundation honors and brings awareness to this influential day in American history, on which the CIA’s presence in Afghanistan just 15 days after the 9/11 attacks epitomized the country’s responsiveness and resilience.
The public input campaign continues the foundation’s resolve to give those with personal experiences with the GWOT a voice in the memorial’s design. The foundation has also established a Design Advisory Council (DAC), a body consisting of Gold Star family members, Veterans, active-duty service members and additional stakeholders to educate and advise lead architect Marlon Blackwell on the memorial.
“The process by which the final design is chosen is as important as the design itself,” said DAC co-chair Elliot Ackerman. “An essential part of that process is this public input campaign, reinforcing that this memorial isn’t only for Veterans, but for all Americans.”
“Our mission is to remind the American people of the price still being paid for freedom and to encourage them to express their thoughts on how the memorial can best pay homage to our Global War on Terrorism heroes,” said DAC co-chair and Gold Star Fellow Jennifer Ballou. “The Design Advisory Council is honored to also share our personal experiences with the Foundation design team.”
Interested members of the public can submit their views here.
By David Wilezol
Communications Strategist, Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation