It?s been nine decades since Frank Woodruff Buckles survived World War I and 60 years since being a Japanese POW. The 108-year-old was in D.C. lobbying the Senate for legislation to dedicate a World War I memorial on the National Mall. The only remaining American-born veteran of World War I and he has made it his goal to make sure a monument is positioned on the National Mall for the thousands of Americans that fought died in that war.



Buckles is lending his name to the legislation that would rededicate a monument that is currently honoring District of Columbia World War I veteran as the memorial for more than 4 million who served in the war. Presently the Mall already has a memorial honoring veterans that served in World War II along with Vietnam and Korea.



But there is also opposing legislation which would specify Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., as the National World War I Memorial. The fact is that Congress and the president are spending billions of dollars but they can?t show gratitude and bear in mind our veterans with a memorial illustrates how cheap they really are.



If all the national memorials are in Washington D.C. on the Mall then why can?t there be one there? There were over 4 million Americans that served in World War I, many of which were lost. Still their country won?t spend the money to build a proper memorial to remember them by. As a substitute they want to save money by using one that already exists. I?m glad that out of all their pork barrel spending; they have decided to cut out a memorial. Not!



The other wars have a monument but not World War I. There weren?t even 2 million that served in Korea and around 2.8 million in Vietnam. So essentially the number of Americans that fought in both of these wars is equal to those that served in the First World War.



The United States can cover the costs of a memorial on the Mall. If it?s a National Memorial then it can?t be in Missouri it has to be in D.C. I understand that Missouri wants to become more attractive and stick out from the other 49 states but this is lame. The government just wants a memorial to get Buckles out of the way and they are picking to do this is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way.



These Americans deserve better. They offered up their lives and so much more in this war. Other countries have made memorials for their veterans so why hasn’t the U.S.? The term ?lost generation? was coined by Gertrude Stein in a remark to Ernest Hemingway which has been used to describe the World War I age group. It shows how the war changed the world and consequently many were ?lost? in the course of and after the war.



Between four and five million Americans served in the course of this war and they deserve to be remembered for their nationalism, help, and sacrifices. By not recognizing these citizens and service members how can we go on with others? How much annihilation, killing, and political power do you have to have before a nation recognizes the contributions and sacrifices of one generation chiefly the ?lost generation.?



About the Author



Diane Johnson earned a bachelor?s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She is interested in adult education likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, online classes,and the college experience.