WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has cosponsored the Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act, a bill to rededicate the District of Columbia War Memorial on the National Mall as the National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial.  The bill is named in honor of Frank Buckles, a 108-year-old West Virginia resident, who is the last surviving American veteran of World War I.

“I recently had the honor of meeting Frank Buckles. Mr. Buckles and the brave men and women he served with deserve our gratitude and formal recognition for their service to our country and their role in shaping world history in the early twentieth century,” said Wicker. 

The District of Columbia constructed a memorial on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial to honor the 499 D.C. residents who died in World War I. The Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act would rededicate that memorial as the National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial, honoring all Americans who served in The Great War. The legislation would also authorize the non-profit World War I Memorial Foundation to make repairs and improvements to the existing memorial, as well as install new sculptures or other commemorations at the memorial.

The bill was introduced by Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Jim Webb, D-Va. The legislation would not be paid for using tax dollars because the World War I Memorial Foundation would raise necessary funds through private donations.

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