Small-town Marine veteran refuses to back down in 16-year fight for America's forgotten heroes — and wins

A Marine veteran from a small North Carolina town spent 16 years fighting to build a national memorial honoring the Americans who served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm — overcoming congressional setbacks, years of bureaucratic hurdles and a lengthy battle over its location, all while refusing to use taxpayer money to get it done.

"I'm just an average everyday American," Scott Stump told Fox News Digital. "I just felt like something had to be done to correct what I felt was a historical oversight."

What began as one veteran's determination to ensure the sacrifices of the 1990-1991 Gulf War generation were not forgotten became a 16-year undertaking that culminated in the Oct. 24, 2026, opening of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial on the National Mall.

Stump, who spearheaded the effort with a team of veteran volunteers, said he insisted from the beginning that the project be built without U.S. taxpayer funding, even as it required years of congressional action, federal approvals and financial support from donors.

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"I made the decision right off the bat that [I] was not interested in encumbering the taxpayer at all," Stump said. "This should be 100% privately funded. Just felt like it was the right thing to do."

Stump said the idea first came to him in November 2010, as the country approached the 20th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, the U.S.-led military campaign that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.

He had attended veterans events where service members from other conflicts were recognized, but those who fought in Desert Shield and Desert Storm were overlooked.

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"They skipped right over it, and they act like it never happened," Stump recalled.

Living in Waynesville, North Carolina, Stump had no elaborate political operation or established Washington network to carry out his vision. Instead, he assembled a team of fellow veterans who shared his belief that the conflict deserved a permanent place in the nation's history, he said.

Stump worked with then-Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., and Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., to secure the legislation necessary to authorize the memorial.

"It was kind of a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," Stump said, referring to the classic film about an ordinary American navigating Washington politics.

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The legislative effort alone took roughly three and a half to four years, and Stump said he was forced to start over after legislation introduced late in one congressional session failed to advance.

He reintroduced the effort in 2013, testified before Congress in February 2014 and watched the House approve the measure in a unanimous 370-0 vote on May 28, 2014.

Stump said the Senate effort encountered additional legislative complications that threate