In 1990 and 1991, nearly 700,000 American troops took part in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, a multinational effort to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. Now, 35 years later, those veterans have a memorial on the National Mall. Over the weekend, officials in Washington, D.C. formally dedicated the new Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, a permanent place for honoring the Americans who served and the roughly 300 who lost their lives during the two operations.
In August 1990, at the direction of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi forces invaded neighboring Kuwait, seeking control of its oil resources and claiming that Kuwaiti territory was part of Iraq. The invasion prompted widespread international criticism, with world leaders calling on Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. In response, the United States launched Operation Desert Shield, sending troops to Saudi Arabia to protect the country from a potential Iraqi attack and build an international coalition of countries committed to liberating Kuwait.
When Iraq refused to leave Kuwait despite diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions, the coalition launched Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, beginning with airstrikes against Iraqi military targets. A ground offensive followed in late February, driving Iraqi forces out of Kuwait and bringing the fighting to an end after roughly 100 hours of ground combat. Located just north of the Lincoln Memorial, the $42 million memorial was funded entirely through private donations, including from individuals, Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters across the country and the State of Kuwait.
It will be managed by the National Park Service. Designed as a place for reflection and contemplation, the memorial draws inspiration from a desert oasis, featuring curving walls reminiscent of sand dunes and a shaded grove with trees and bubbling water. The memorial’s layout is meant to symbolize the “left hook” tactical maneuver led by U.S.
Norman Schwarzkopf during Operation Desert Storm, according to CSO, one of the architecture firms that helped design the memorial. As they walk along the clockwise, circular path, visitors will encounter two dune-shaped walls made of sand-colored granite. One, called the Storm Wall, features a 125-foot bas-relief created by sculptor Emily Bedard that moves chronologically from the buildup of the operation to the conflict and liberation of Kuwait.
The other, called the Inscription Wall, has two commemorative wreaths and inscriptions honoring those who served and those who died during the operations. The heart of the memorial is the Unity Shield Fountain, a 28-foot-wide bronze centerpiece engraved with the names of the 41 nations that came together to form the Gulf War coalition. Two stainless-steel sculptures—one depicting an American bald eagle, the other depicting a Kuwaiti falcon—symbolizes the ongoing partnership between the United States and Kuwait.
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