Lead design firms CSO and OLIN are pleased to announce the completion of the new national Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial.
The formal public Dedication Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Prominently situated at the intersection of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue NW—just steps from the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—this enduring national monument honors the 700,000 U.S. service members who served in the Gulf War from 1990 to 1991.
Designed in close collaboration with the National Desert Storm Memorial Association and informed by direct input from veterans, the $40 million monument establishes a powerful place of remembrance on the National Mall, distinguished by evocative commemorative art and a central water feature. Visitors enter along a sweeping, curved path conceived by CSO to evoke the military’s historic “Left Hook” maneuver—the decisive tactical offensive led by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in the liberation of Kuwait.
We conceived the curved, dune-like granite walls and bas-relief to guide visitors through the memorial in a symbolic ‘Left Hook’ gesture, ultimately embracing a contemplative space for remembrance. “
–Randy Schumacher, Principal and Lead Designer at CSO
The Two Dune Walls
Two sweeping walls of golden-beige granite rise to shelter the memorial visually and acoustically from the surrounding city, their sculpted forms recalling the fluid contours of wind-shaped desert sands. The Storm Wall: Extending 250 feet, this wall incorporates a continuous 125-foot bas-relief—an artistic tour de force by sculptor Emily Bedard—featuring monumental imagery that traces the campaign’s chronological progression from buildup and conflict to liberation. The Inscription Wall features two commemorative wreaths and inscriptions honoring all who served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
The Unity Shield Fountain
At the heart of the memorial is a serene sanctuary defined by curved granite seat walls, a grove of shade trees, and the 28-foot-diameter bronze Unity Shield Fountain. Engraved with the names of the 41 coalition nations that stood together under U.S. leadership, the Unity Shield serves as a compelling artistic centerpiece throughout the year, including during the winter months when the water is turned off.
Falcon and Eagle Sculptures
Symbolizing the enduring partnership between the United States and Kuwait, two soaring stainless-steel sculptures—an American eagle and a Kuwaiti
falcon—are composed in dynamic relationship, expressing defense, liberation, and a shared commitment to freedom.
I hope first and foremost Gulf War veterans feel like after all this time they have a spot on the mall that they feel is theirs. “
–Skip Graffam, Design Partner at OLIN
After what has been a remarkable fifteen year journey of Congressional testimony, federal agency coordination, design charettes, marketing and public relations activities, international travel and relentless fundraising, the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial will stand as a testament to the courage and fortitude of our fighting men and women and that of our Coalition partners, who, thirty-five years ago, came together, from all over the world, in the name of freedom. The October 24 dedication and flag-raising ceremony is open to the public. Veterans, military families, Coalition representatives, and supporters from across the nation are warmly invited to attend and experience the completed memorial for the first time.
We are especially proud of the various Hoosier connections including:
- Scott Stump, a Desert Storm veteran and President of the NDSM Association, is a graduate of Indiana State University
- Randy Schumacher, CSO Principal and Memorial Project Manager, is a graduate of Ball State University and is employed by Indianapolis design firm CSO
- Fritz Herget, Principal, is a Purdue University graduate and is employed by Indianapolis consulting firm Arsee Engineers
- Former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly, a University of Notre Dame graduate and South Bend, Indiana resident, was the author of the enabling legislation
- Kent Shively, a Desert Storm veteran and NDSM Association Board member, is a Carmel, Indiana businessman and lives in Kokomo, Indiana
- Fred Prazeau and Indianapolis landscape architectural firm Context Design was also involved in the project in the early stages
Design team:
CSO (Design Architect, Project Management), OLIN Studio (Lead Design, Landscape Design), VHB (Civil Engineer), North Arrow (MEP Engineer), Arsee Engineers (Structural Engineer), Fluidity (Fountain Design), L’Observatoire (Lighting Design), Emily Bedard (Sculptor), Robert Eccleston (Sculptor).
The National Desert Storm Memorial Association Board of Directors:
Scott Stump (President and CEO), Cee Freeman, Kyle Leggs, Kent Shively, Jill Etter, Bill Carragan, George Hermina, John Hermina.
