A new digital monument, sponsored by USAA, now displays the names of over 41 million individuals who served in the U.S. military, from the Revolutionary War to the present day, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This installation, a signature part of the nationwide America250 celebration, opened Monday, inviting visitors to connect with a sanitized version of American military history. Fox News Digital received an exclusive preview of the monument, which cycles through roughly 1,500 names every 45 seconds.
Visitors use smartphones to scan a QR code, receiving a six-digit code that summons a loved one's name onto one of two towering digital American flags overlooking the Reflecting Pool. The monument combines military records, public databases, information from veterans organizations, and voluntary submissions. Organizers admit no single government archive contains every American who has served, and the project will continue to grow. Some currently serving members and veterans may not appear due to privacy protections or historical record gaps.
Who Profits from Patriotism?
USAA, a financial services company catering to military members and their families, is the primary sponsor of this elaborate display. Their investment in the National Military Monument links corporate branding directly to the glorification of state power and the projection of military might. John Guzman, a Navy veteran and USAA Creative Director, found his grandfather, Walter Allen, who served during World War II, on the display. Guzman described the experience as "heavy to see it come up in all of the best ways," noting his grandfather was a "role model."
Bob Labrutta, a retired Air Force major general and USAA's vice president of survivorship, articulated the monument's intended effect. He expressed "pure joy and pride" upon seeing his own father's name commemorated, stating, "Pride in this country. Pride in USAA for doing this." Labrutta insisted that "this is what we should be doing each and every day: honoring, thanking and paying tribute to the military members who have served this nation so nobly." This corporate-backed narrative frames military service as an inherent good, obscuring the material interests it serves.
The State's Narrative of Service
The monument's placement on the Lincoln Memorial Plaza, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, ensures maximum visibility during the America250 celebration. Organizers sought one of the National Mall's most heavily visited locations. The display traces military service from Lexington and Concord to Afghanistan and beyond, a vast historical sweep that normalizes continuous engagement in conflicts. Labrutta stated that soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guard members, and Guardians are "none of them are ordinary." He added, "When they raise their right hand, they say not only, 'Send me,' but 'I'm willing to give up my life for this great country.' That makes them extraordinary."
This framing elevates individual sacrifice while diverting attention from the systemic reasons for conflict: the projection of military and economic power to secure resources, markets, and compliant governments for transnational corporations. The monument's purpose, according to Labrutta, extends beyond the nation's 250th birthday, applying to "all American citizens." He claimed, "We wouldn't have had an Independence Day if we wouldn't have had citizens that raised their hand and said, 'You know what? This is worth fighting for.'" This narrative reinforces the state's ideological function, manufacturing consent for future military actions by romanticizing past ones. It presents the military as a protector of abstract "freedoms" rather than an enforcer of capital accumulation.
Manufacturing Consent
Families like Tim and Tenika Eardley, visiting from Wyoming, found the experience "really neat" and "meaningful" after searching for a family member currently serving in the National Guard. Tenika Eardley described it as a "personalized experience" that allows them to "see those people that we know and love honored right here in D.C." This personalization serves to individualize and depoliticize the collective act of military service, making it a matter of family pride rather than a component of the state's apparatus for global power projection. The monument, while appearing to honor individuals, ultimately reinforces the legitimacy of the state's military actions across centuries, ensuring a continuous supply of labor for its imperial garrison.