Desert Storm memorial opens on National Mall as fight over Gulf War vets' benefits lingers

On Saturday, Oct. 24, veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War gathered on the National Mall in Washington to dedicate the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial. It is the first national monument to the men and women who served in that war ¹. Nearly 700,000 U.S. service members served ¹.

The quarter-acre plaza sits north of the Lincoln Memorial, at Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street NW, within walking distance of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ¹. Congress authorized it in 2014. It was paid for with private money and cost $40 million ¹. It is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week ².

On tapeWUSA9 · Oct 26

▶0:20

The often-repeated phrase, 'Thank you for your service,' is a direct result of Operation Desert Storm

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum gave the keynote. He said the memorial "honors the courage of the Americans who answered our nation's call" ¹. Burgum said the Interior Department and the National Park Service will take care of the memorial over the long term ³.

For many who came, the day was personal. Army veteran Michael Muilenburg, 66, carries a bracelet for a comrade who died on the way to a military hospital after a heart attack ¹. American Legion and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) chapters attended, along with families on honor flights ¹.

From Channel GOPBlumenthal confronts Patel over fired FBI employeesSen. Richard Blumenthal · 134 plays · captioned, with the source named

I wanted to come here for closure, to see an end to this long journey

A monument in stone, and benefits on paper

That matters because what lasts longest for Gulf War veterans isn't a monument. It is the health care and disability pay they earned. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs two programs that matter most to them.

The first is VA's Gulf War illness rules. If you served in a recognized location on or after Aug. 2, 1990, VA presumes that certain conditions came from your service, so you don't have to prove the link ⁴. These include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, functional gastrointestinal disorders and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. You must have been ill for at least six months ⁴.

On tapeWFAA · Oct 27

▶0:49

The second is the PACT Act, the 2022 toxic-exposure law. It expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances ⁵. It covers service on or after Aug. 2, 1990, in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates ⁵. VA presumes that several cancers and lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), are linked to that service ⁵.

Getting the PACT Act passed was a fight. The Senate approved it 84-14 in June 2022. Then, on a second vote that a technical error made necessary, more than two dozen Republicans switched sides. They said they objected to how the money would be budgeted. Democrats said the switch came just after they reached a deal on a separate bill ⁶. After the reversal drew public anger, the Senate passed the law 86-11 on Aug. 2, 2022. It was estimated to cost $280 billion over a decade ⁶.

The fight over who pays

This year the fight over paying for benefits came back. The Take Care of America's Veterans Act (H.R. 9237 in the House, S. 4744 in the Senate) was introduced in both chambers in June ⁷⁸. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas chairs the Senate veterans committee and Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois chairs the House committee ⁷. The bill bundles more than 60 veterans bills into nearly 600 pages ⁸.

The package includes the Major Richard Star Act. That bill would let veterans with fewer than 20 years of service collect disability pay and retirement pay at the same time. Its estimated cost is about $10 billion ⁷. To cover the package, Republicans would use about $57 billion in estimated savings from a 2022 VA rule change on sleep apnea and tinnitus ratings ⁸.

Tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears, is now rated at 10%. Under the change, it would be treated as a symptom of another condition, such as hearing loss, rather than rated on its own. Sleep apnea's standalone 30% rating would be replaced by one based on how well treatment works ⁷. Coleman Nee, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, says the cuts could affect up to 1.5 million veterans ⁷.

resources to pay for these wounds of war could come from the Department of Defense, not other disabled veterans.

Bost defended the plan, saying the bill would not hurt veterans ⁸.

legislation will not harm a single veteran.

On July 16, a Democratic motion to send the bill back to committee failed by one vote, 210-211 ⁹. All 207 Democrats who voted backed it, along with three Republicans. Another 210 Republicans and one independent voted no ⁹. Republican leaders then pulled the bill from the floor, and Stars and Stripes reported that no new vote date was available ⁸.

Veterans groups are split. Disabled American Veterans and the VFW opposed the funding plan. The American Legion warned that doing nothing could lose a workable way to pay ⁸. Rep. Mark Takano and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrats on the two veterans committees, proposed another source: nearly $100 billion in unspent Defense Department money from the law known as H.R. 1. They also proposed bringing back the 39.6% top tax rate for people earning more than $25 million ⁸.

The pattern is this: private donors paid for the memorial, but Congress decides what veterans are paid. Whichever party controls the House after Nov. 3 will decide whether this package comes back, and whether disabled veterans pay for it with their own ratings.

The Record

1. Aug 2, 2022Senate passes the PACT Act 86-11 after more than two dozen Republicans had switched sides on an earlier vote ⁶
2. Jun 16, 2026Task & Purpose reports the GOP Take Care of America's Veterans Act would pay for itself with tinnitus and sleep apnea rating changes worth $57 billion ⁷
3. Jul 16, 2026Democratic motion to send the veterans package back to committee fails 210-211; Republican leaders pull the bill ⁸⁹
4. Oct 24, 2026Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial dedicated on the National Mall and joins the National Park System ¹²

Sources

1. Stars and Stripes, “'An end to this long journey': Veterans, families welcome long-awaited Gulf War memorial to nation's capital” (2026-10-24). stripes.com/veterans/2026-10-24/desert-shield-desert-storm-m
2. U.S. Department of the Interior, “Department of the Interior and the National Park Service Welcome Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial to the National Mall” (2026-10-24). doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-and-national-park-
3. WJLA (7News), “New National Mall memorial honors Desert Shield and Desert Storm service” (2026-10-25). wjla.com/news/local/desert-shield-storm-memorial-national-ma
4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Gulf War illnesses linked to Southwest Asia service” (2024-05-15). va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/g
5. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “The PACT Act and your VA benefits” (2026-10-27). va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/
6. NPR (via HPPR), “The Senate passes help for veterans exposed to toxins, after a reversal drew fury” (2022-08-02). hppr.org/2022-08-02/the-senate-passes-help-for-veterans-expo
7. Task & Purpose, “Veterans bill would cut tinnitus and sleep apnea benefits to fund Major Richard Star Act” (2026-06-16). taskandpurpose.com/news/veterans-bill-tinnitus-sleep-apnea.m
8. Stars and Stripes, “Vote on Take Care of America's Veterans Act stalls in the House” (2026-07-16). stripes.com/veterans/2026-07-16/sweeping-house-bill-veterans
9. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, “Roll Call 249: On Motion to Recommit, H.R. 9237” (2026-07-16). clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026249

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.