Poe, Cleaver & Norton Introduce The Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act

This week, along with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), I introduced H.R. 6364, the Frank Buckles WWI Memorial Act. This bipartisan bill would (1) establish a commission to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) re-designate the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City as the “National World War I Museum and Memorial;” and (3) establish a new, stand-alone World War I Memorial on the National Mall.

The worst casualty of war is to be forgotten. The centennial of World War I is quickly approaching. Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and France already have plans in place to commemorate the Great War, but what is America going to do to honor the heroes of World War I? More soldiers died during World War I than in Korea, Vietnam, both Iraq Wars and Afghanistan combined. Those warriors should not be forgotten in our nation’s capitol. Corporate Frank Buckles was the last living World War I veteran. It was his wish to see a National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. I hope that we do the honorable thing and salute Corporal Buckles and the rest of the Doughboys who fought over there.