Waiting For Iran War Memorial
As we go to press, a sizable segment of the population is gathered around open bottles of refreshments to analyze and debate America’s latest chest-thumping, bombs-bursting-in-air excursion and/or war in (where else?) the Middle East, a place revered by the religiously afflicted as “The Holy Land.”
Naturally, one of the first questions about war is, “Who started it?” Followed by, “Why?” Then, “Who won?” Followed closely by, “How many killed?” Followed intently by, “Do I know anyone who was killed?” And, of course, a most important question, “Am I dead?”
Fortunately, the U.S. has a 2.1 million-strong military, so Our President apparently feels that if he puts a few thousand “boots on the ground” in Iran, some of those boots can end up in the ground without seriously affecting America’s military fitness. Indeed, as we go to press “only” 13 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in the Iran Theater, while here at home 40 or so civilians are gunned down daily.
However, a question not being discussed is: When will a War Memorial to our Iranian War dead be completed?
The concern is not frivolous. The war in Afghanistan ended five years ago, but a Memorial to the 2,400+/- Americans killed there is still in the design stage. When completed, it will be the “Global War On Terrorism Memorial,” and is expected to cost $110 million, funded by private donations. That’s about $46,000 per dead American.
For comparison, the Vietnam War Memorial Wall (also privately funded) was completed seven years after that war ended. Names of 58,000+ Americans killed are still being added to The Wall as bodies of the “missing in action” are found. That Memorial cost some $9 million, or only about $155 per dead American.
Clearly, inflation has driven up the cost of memorializing Americans killed in war, costs which do not include any tariffs Our President may think to impose on the remains of returning Iran war dead.
Consider, too, that those expanding War Memorial costs occurred when the U.S. had a Department of Defense, so named in 1949 to underscore our nation’s non-aggressive nature despite having dropped two atom bombs on people.
However, on September 5, 2025, our Current President signed Executive Order #14347 authorizing a secondary (though optional) title “Department of War.” His Order states, in part:
“The name ‘Department of War,’ more than the current ‘Department of Defense,’ ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend. This name sharpens the Department’s focus on our own national interest and our adversaries’ focus on our willingness and availability to wage war to secure what is ours . . . (emphasis added)
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC.gov) oversees maintenance of cemeteries and memorials for American war dead around the world. Which is good, since Professor Google reminds us:
“Since 1776, the United States has been involved in military conflicts for over 225 of its 250-year history, or roughly 90-percent of the time, with only about 15–20 years of total peace. . . . the U.S. has engaged in hundreds of military interventions and undeclared wars worldwide.”
Yet despite Executive Order #14347, and our draft-evading President’s new-found zeal for war, ABMC’s budget includes no money for new War Memorials. How, then, will America continue to honor its noble and ever-growing ranks of war dead?
No, Mr. President. . . not GoFundMe.
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