For much of the world, freedom is a luxury, the privilege of a few. For Americans, our many freedoms are so integrally woven into the fabric of our lives that many of us take them for granted. Freedom to participate in our own governance, to worship as we please, to disagree with those in power, to appear as equals before the law – the list of our freedoms is long. Yet the value and cost of those freedoms are often overlooked. Out of twenty-six million American veterans living across the world today, nearly one of ten embody the physical cost of their service on behalf of American freedoms in permanent disability. For their sake, it is precisely this value and cost we seek to honor and uphold in our proposed design for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.

• The nation’s capital is the obvious location for an appropriate national tribute to America’s disabled veterans, and it is long overdue
• There are over 3 million living disabled veterans, with the number growing daily
• The nation’s capital is a top tourist draw, especially for patriotic citizens
• The memorial site is within sight of the US Capitol, so members of Congress can be continually reminded of the human cost of war and the need to support America’s veterans
• The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is the only military-themed memorial not defined by service branch, military unit or specific war

• No one has thought it important enough to take on the task of raising money, working through the political steps to make the project happen, and communicate its importance to the American public
• It’s a daunting process (see enclosed “Steps for Establishing a Memorial in the Nation’s Capital”)

Lois B. Pope, Co-Founder and Chairman
Lois Pope is a co-founder and chairman of the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. In 1998, she joined forces with Arthur Wilson, National Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans, and the late Jesse Brown, former Secretary of Veteran Affairs, to co-found the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. The sole mission of the foundation is to raise the monies to design, construct and maintain The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, DC.

Arthur H. Wilson, Co-Founder and President
Arthur Wilson is a co-founder and president of the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. In 1998, he joined philanthropist Lois Pope and the late Jesse Brown, former Secretary of Veteran Affairs, to co-found the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. The sole mission of the foundation is to raise the monies to design, construct and maintain The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, DC.

The Late Jesse Brown, Co-Founder and the Foundation's First Executive Director
During five years as Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Cabinet of President Bill Clinton, the late Jesse Brown earned the love and respect of his fellow veterans across the United States. This well-deserved esteem made Mr. Brown uniquely qualified for his role as the first Executive Director of the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc.

Gene A. Murphy, Treasurer
An active and inspiring advocate on behalf of disabled veterans, Mr. Murphy has taken a leadership role in creating The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. He has served on the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc.'s Board of Directors since its creation. The South Dakota native says he felt he was called to a life of doing for others when he found himself lying injured on the jungle floor in Vietnam, 1969. Wounded by two gunshots to his right side, just 30 days before he was scheduled to return to the United States, the young Army sergeant awaited evacuation for 14 hours. Nearly ten months of hospitalization couldn't cure the paralysis of his legs.

Kenneth G. Musselmann, Director
Kenneth G. Musselmann serves as a Director of the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, Inc. He served with the U.S. Army Americal Division in Vietnam. A land mine explosion and gunshot wounds resulted in amputation of both legs. He holds the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The Late Leo Albert
The late Leo Albert spent four years in the U.S. Marines during World War II and was in one of the first units to land in Nagasaki after the United States dropped the atomic bomb. Mr. Albert is the retired chairman of Prentice-Hall International Publishers and a former chair of the Association of American Book Publishers and the U.S. State Department Committee on International Books and Libraries.

Michael Powell
Michael Powell, a disabled Army veteran, is former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Following in his father's footsteps, retired four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Mr. Powell joined the Army in 1985.

Anthony J. Principi
Anthony J. Principi, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, was awarded the Bronze Star with a V device for valor and the Navy Combat Action Medal during his service in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

George Reenstra
George Reenstra served as an Army Special Forces helicopter pilot in Vietnam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Navy Commendation Medal with a V device for valor, and 28 Air Medals.

George Schaefer, Jr.
George Schaefer, Jr., is a decorated Vietnam veteran who earned a Bronze Star for his service. Currently he serves as President/CEO of Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp, one of the largest commercial banks in the U.S.

Dennis A. Joyner
Dennis Joyner is a member of various veterans’, community and professional organizations. While living in Pennsylvania, he was appointed by then-Governor Richard L. Thornburgh to serve on that state’s Vietnam Herbicide Commission. Mr. Joyner’s DAV leadership includes all elected offices in DAV Chapter 36 in Vandergrift, Pa.; service as an officer in the DAV’s Department of Pennsylvania; and two years as DAV Department of California Adjutant. He also served as President of the DAV Vietnam Veterans National Memorial Corporation from 1986 to 1998, when the corporation made a gift of the Memorial to the David Westphall Veterans Foundation. Additionally, he serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the DAV National Service Foundation Board of Directors and in various leadership positions at the Department and Chapter level in Florida where he now lives.

Mr. Joyner earned his a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh, in 1975, and his associate of arts degree from the Community College of Allegheny County in 1974. His professional experience includes four years as Westmoreland County Juvenile Service Center Accountant and as Fiscal Manager for the Westmoreland County Courts, Greensburg, Pa. He was appointed Westmoreland County Court Administrator in 1979, responsible for administration of the eight-judge court system and all court-related offices. In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Mr. Joyner Supervisor of Elections for Seminole County, in January 2004. He retired in January 2005.

• Actor Gary Sinise
• H. Ross Perot, Sr.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
• AT&T
• Over one million citizen donors
• Local community grassroots groups
• U.S. Congress – we can provide names of co-sponsors of the original legislation (Public Law 106-348) and the commemorative coin legislation (S. 633 and H.R. 1951)
• Ford Motor Company Fund
• Fifth Third Foundation
• The State of Maryland ($500,000 bond bill was passed)
• FedEx
• ConocoPhilips

• Authorizing legislation forbids any federal funding.
• We have continuing supportive relationships and have participated in events with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, but receive no financial support from them.

• As of May 2008, our efforts have helped raise $70 million in private donations necessary to complete the project.
• Total costs are projected at $86 million. The preliminary construction estimate of $52 million was prepared by DMS International, a professional construction estimating firm, in 2004. The cost estimate will be affected by final design elements, redirection of surface streets and curbing requirements (to be determined by the land transfer bill), approval delays that escalate costs, and prevailing labor/material costs. In addition, administrative, public awareness and fundraising costs are estimated at $13 million (Up to 25% overhead is considered appropriate when compared with similar projects). 10% of the cost of construction will be turned over to the National Park Service for the perpetual maintenance of the memorial.
• The memorial is being designed for minimum maintenance after construction, so high quality materials must be used.
• The final design has not yet been approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, the Commission on Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission.
• American disabled veterans have paid an extremely high price to defend our freedoms. They richly deserve a fitting memorial, especially since it is being funded entirely by private contributions and no federal funds.

• The Foundation has received overwhelming support from the American public, especially from the disabled veteran community, among other supporters.
• The Foundation is gaining momentum through recent gifts from major corporate foundations and prominent philanthropists.
• Our direct marketing campaign has yielded over 1 million donors as of December 2007.

• Not at this point, but that could change when the final design is approved, elements are identified and construction begins.

• Disabled veterans themselves feel the memorial is long overdue and a much needed part of the healing process for them. The memorial not only serves to honor, heal, and bring unity to disabled veterans in all five branches of the service, but it also serves to educate the public and remind our lawmakers about ongoing issues concerning disabled veterans. Once the wars end and the press coverage ceases, we want to make sure that the American public does not forget its disabled veterans.
• The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have been tasked and funded by Congress and the American people to care for the nation’s military community, especially its wounded and disabled veterans and their families.
• This money is being raised specifically to build a memorial for disabled veterans, and any use other than that stated purpose would be fraudulent.
• If donors feel that more money should be spent on caring for disabled veterans and their families (and we agree with that), they should let their elected representatives know of their concerns.

• Once the land transfer is complete and the final design is approved, a construction schedule will be approved by the Foundation’s board of directors.
• The approval process requires 24 levels of approval. The Foundation has completed 16 of those, and steps 17 and 18 are in process.
• The current timetable anticipates dedication on November 11, 2010.

• The approved site was land under the control of the District of Columbia. Companion bills HR 3699 and S 1838 in the House and Senate provided for the transfer of the land for the memorial to the Interior Department under the control of the National Park Service.

• Negotiations are currently underway with the Speaker’s office, DC Dept of Transportation, the Architect of the Capitol and the National Park Service to determine responsibilities for adjustments in roads and curbing as a result of the specifications in the land transfer bills.

• In August 2001 a site adjacent to the National Mall was selected and approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
• In July 2003, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects of Alexandria, VA, whose work has included many well-known public sites, was selected as the architect for the memorial following a national design competition (www.vergason.net).
• In 2004, the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission approved an initial memorial design concept.
• The memorial’s close proximity to the Capitol dome, a mere 1,000 feet away, will provide a key focal point, reminding visitors and legislators alike of the link between freedom’s defense and its human toll.
• The Memorial’s central feature will be a star-shaped reflecting pool, its surface broken by a single eternal flame. A grove of gingko trees, universal symbols of peace, will stand sentry beside the pool, signifying the persistence of hope. The whole will be framed on two sides by glass and marble wall, representing both the strength and fragility of the human spirit.
• Each glass wall will be punctuated by a series of figurative bronze reliefs, inviting visitors to touch and explore their surfaces. In consideration of the range of disabilities sustained by veterans, the design team has made every effort to engage the senses as broadly as possible. We also envision the Memorial as a sensory tool for teaching young people about the history and complexities off our nation’s quest for freedom.
• Visitors entering the northwestern corner of the site will find themselves in a broad plaza, the star-shaped basin with its eternal flame to their left and the Capitol dome beyond reflected in water.
• The soothing flow of the fountain (which will run year-round) and the breeze in the gingko leaves will evoke a sense of peace. The typical visitor will see the fountain and fire first, then walk along the reflecting pool deeper into the grove to the glass walls, etched with quotes from veterans, families, caregivers, literary figures and others.
• These walls will feature four bronze bas-reliefs by sculptor Larry Kirkland, commemorating the veterans’ journey through loss, transformation and, for many, transcendence. At night the eternal flame will draw the attention of passers-by and the glass walls, softly lit from below, will enhance the meditative ambiance of ephemerality.
• Each 9’ x 4’ panel will consist of five laminate layers, the inner ones etched so that quotes of varying size will appear to float at different depths, their legibility dependant on the viewer’s distance from the surface.
• The subtly opalescent glass will also vary in tint as the visitor progresses down its length. One wall’s text will emphasize veterans’ personal experience and the other public expressions of gratitude.
• Although final edits remain, the design team has narrowed its selection from 500 quotes collected by History Associates, Inc., historical research specialists in military archival material. Quotes reflect the full range of conflicts and the diversity of veteran experience. Sources range from public documents like the Gettysburg Address, military Oath of Service, and Declaration of Independence to intensely event-specific recollections of veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present conflict in Iraq. Themes of freedom, the call to duty, challenges of healing, and renewed discovery of purpose recur throughout.
• The four frameless glass walls project cleanly from the ground. Lamination will ensure that the outer surface remains smooth and easy to maintain by the National Park Service, the monument’s ultimate caretakers.
• Although this particular construction technique will be unique, a trio of similar panels was erected at the Marsh McClennan September 11th Memorial in New York City. We plan to contract with that project’s glass fabricator, Depp Glass, also of New York, who boasts over a century of custom glasswork with architects and artists.
• The visitor’s experience of the quotes will be visually underscored by at least four 6’ x 9’ bronze reliefs. These powerful images will appear at intervals in the wall, enhancing nearby quotes. The human body is the subject of each sculpture, timeless and specific. Each is carved in inverse relief creating the human form out of space, not mass. The sculptures evoke many things: the memory of the moment, the memory of the complete human, and the challenge of a life with physical and mental loss.
• For the living disabled veteran they give timeless form to their experience. Maquettes erected by sculptor Larry Kirkland (www.larrykirkland.com) for preliminary review by the Commission of Fine Arts and a group of veterans elicited strong approval. One veteran told the Commission that his fellow veterans said to him, “That’s me. That’s my story and the story of most of my peer group.” Kirkland was directly inspired by History Associates’ research, in particular, soldiers’ reminiscences of the moment of wounding, which occurred all too frequently at the peak of youth and health, altering their lives forever.
• The casting process will be carried out by the Walla Walla Foundry in Washington State, a highly regarded foundry that has produced work by many of our greatest sculptors. Human models selected for the reliefs will be scanned via a digital animation process, enabling Kirkland to experiment with a wide variety of composition options.
• The design process has been a highly inclusive dialogue thus far and we plan to continue engaging disabled veterans in the design of their memorial.

• At its dedication, the memorial will be transferred to the National Park Service.
• 10% of the cost of constructing the memorial will also be transferred at that time to the National Park Service for the perpetual care of the memorial.
• Current plans are for the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation to be dissolved after this transfer takes place.