Nucor announced at With Honor Action’s biennial gala that it will provide funds and the steel to build the GWOT Memorial on the National Mall
Washington, D.C. — Oct. 25, 2023 – Last night at With Honor Action’s biennial dinner with the bipartisan veterans who serve in the For Country Caucus in Congress, Nucor Corporation, North America’s largest steel producer, and the Nucor Charitable Foundation announced a donation of $2.5 million, which includes the steel to build the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. The Memorial will be located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.
For over 22 years, more than two million Americans have served in the Global War on Terrorism across the globe. More than 7,000 American service members have made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives in the line of duty. The Global War on Terrorism Memorial will honor their service, as well as that of their families and so many others who have protected our freedoms during this complex, multi-generational conflict.
Legislation creating a Global War on Terrorism Memorial was first introduced in Congress in 2016 by Representatives Mike Gallagher and Seth Moulton, both For Country Caucus Members and Marine Corps post 9-11 veterans. Championed after significant advocacy, especially by the bipartisan For Country Caucus of veterans in the U.S. House and Army veteran Senator Joni Ernst, Congress authorized the creation of the Memorial in 2021 and passed a provision allowing construction of the Memorial on the Reserve portion of the National Mall.
Leon Topalian, Nucor’s Chair, President and CEO, shared the announcement with the more than 200 people in attendance at the With Honor event, including nearly 30 bipartisan veterans who are Members of Congress, the veterans who lead the Senate Armed Services Committee, and General C.Q. Brown, the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “On behalf of the entire Nucor family,” Mr. Topalian announced, “we are honored to show our gratitude and respect to the brave men and women of our country who have served in the Global War on Terrorism and their families. We are grateful to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation and our friends in the For Country Caucus for their inclusive vision and the opportunity to play a role in this effort. We hope tonight’s announcement brings greater awareness and support to this admirable project.”
“The Foundation is humbled and honored to accept Nucor’s generous contribution to the Memorial—the largest single gift in our organization’s history,” said Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation President and CEO, Michael “Rod” Rodriguez, a retired Army Green Beret who served ten combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “It is exciting to say that American-made Nucor steel will help embody the strength and resilience of the heroes who have served and sacrificed in the Global War on Terrorism. We express our gratitude to the entire Nucor workforce for standing beside us as we honor all those who have given so much in the name of liberty, security, and freedom.” “This is an important step forward in the years of work to build the enduring Memorial for the millions of Americans who have served and the thousands of Americans who continue to serve in the Global War on Terrorism,”said Marine Corps veteran Rye Barcott, With Honor Action’s co-founder and CEO and Secretary of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation’s Board. “We’re proud that principled, bipartisan veterans in Congress are championing its construction, and we hope that Nucor’s leading contribution inspires other American companies to participate.”
