D.C. Veterans to Join Norton and Gray at Monday Press Conference to Oppose New Bill to Nationalize D.C. War Memorial

WASHINGTON, DC – In advance of a hearing on a bill that would rededicate the D.C. War Memorial as a national World War I memorial, D.C veterans will join Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, and DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka at a press conference, to insist on maintaining the integrity of the D.C. War Memorial, which was built for only D.C. residents in 1931, on Monday, January 23 at 1 p.m. in 2247 Rayburn House Office Building. District residents paid for the original construction of the memorial to commemorate the more than 26,000D.C. residents who served in World War I, including the 499 who died, more than the number that died from three states. Although the names of the 499 veterans who were killed are engraved on the memorial, on Tuesday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. in 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands will hold a hearing on Rep. Ted Poe's (R-TX) bill, H.R. 938, which would rededicate the memorial.

"A national memorial dedicated to all Americans who served in World War I should be located in the nation's capital, and I would be happy to join any congressional effort for a World War I memorial. However, it would be wrong to commandeer the District of Columbia's memorial, paid for with the blood and treasure of D.C. residents," Norton said. "Particularly considering that District residents paid for this memorial to honor their sons and fathers who served and died in World War I without a vote, the D.C memorial should not and must not be taken away from our residents."

Retired Commander Kerwin Miller, a Naval Academy graduate and the chair of Norton's Service Academy Nominations Board, and Matthew J. Cary, director of D.C. Office of Veterans Affairs and a Vietnam veteran, will be featured among a group of D.C. veterans who will attend the press conference to emphasize the continuing service of D.C. residents, who still do not have full voting rights in Congress or the final say over their own local funds.

Last year, Norton introduced a resolution to ensure that the D.C. War Memorial remains dedicated solely to D.C. residents who served in World War I, and to ensure a suitable, separate location be found for a memorial dedicated to all Americans who served in WWI.

Who: D.C. Veterans, Congresswoman Norton, Mayor Gray, DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka

What: Press conference to oppose H.R. 938, which would rededicate the D.C. War Memorial to

be a national World War I memorial.

When:Monday, January 23 at 1:00 p.m.

Where:2247 Rayburn House Office Building

Created January 20, 2012