Over 30 years after a U.S.-led international military coalition expelled occupying Iraqi troops from Kuwait, planners have broken ground on the long-simmering plans for a Gulf War memorial.
Hundreds gathered Thursday morning for a ground-breaking ceremony at the corner of Constitution and 23rd streets, where the memorial will be located.
Organizers have pushed to create the memorial for years, after the concept was approved by Congress in 2014. Known as the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial, the monument will feature a circular open-air design with features meant to evoke the sand dunes of the desert battleground.
"The Memorial’s design will commemorate the historical significance of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm while honoring the service and the sacrifice of the United States of America and Coalition military personnel who liberated Kuwait from Iraq and defended Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula from further invasion," organizers said in a statement.