Timeline of Events
2015: The Foundation is Born
March 2017: First Steps Toward A Memorial
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) introduce the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Act (H.R. 873) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill calls for the establishment of a Memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C. It also designates the Foundation as the entity authorized to plan, fund, and build it.
2018: Listening to Our Heroes
Qualitative and quantitative feedback from Gold Star families, active duty service members, veterans and veteran family members, faith leaders, and non-military citizens leads the Foundation to seek an exemption to build the Memorial specifically within the Reserve area of the National Mall.
November 2019: The Mall Is the Mission
Concurrent with Veterans Day, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Rep. Gallagher (R-WI) introduce the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act (H.R. 5046) in the House of Representatives. The legislation specifically seeks authorization for the construction of a Memorial in the Reserve area of the National Mall. Although momentum stalls on the bill’s progress, the issue gains prominence in Congress.
March 2020: Strength in Numbers
The Foundation joins seven leading military and veterans service organizations to brief Congress on the importance of passing the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act.
2020: Funding the Memorial
The Foundation launches a grassroots fundraising campaign with a goal of $100 million.
March 2021: A New Step Forward
Sen. Ernst (R-IA) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduce the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act (S.535) in the Senate.
December 2021: Giving Back
MISSION BBQ becomes the first member of the Foundation’s Servant Leadership Council with a donation of more than $1.4 million.
January 2022: Caffeinated Contributions
Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC Fund) presents the Foundation with a $25,000 donation.
March 2022: Ruck the Reserve
The Foundation holds its inaugural “Ruck the Reserve” event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
June 2022: Partners in Remembering:
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation donates $1 million to the Foundation.
December 2022: MISSION BBQ’s Continued Support
MISSION BBQ makes a new donation of $1,440,000. This is the second year in a row that MISSION BBQ has contributed more than $1 million to the Foundation.
March 2023: Approval from NCMAC to Move Forward with Site Selection
A major milestone in the site selection process! The Foundation received permission from the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission (NCMAC) to proceed with consultations with the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) regarding proposed sites for a national Global War on Terrorism Memorial.
April 2023: CFA Approves Site A
The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) has approved Site A! Click to view site location. The location near the Lincoln Memorial gains favor as a potential Memorial location. The Global War on Terrorism Memorial is closer to becoming a reality with each passing day.
April 2023: NCPC Grants Authorization to Begin Designing Memorial for Site A Location
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) authorizes the Foundation to embark on a design for a Memorial for Site A, moving the Foundation into steps 13-19 of the 24-step Memorial construction process after being in steps 9-12 since August of 2017.
