It was only one phone call. To hear Tim Jeffers ’87 tell it, that one phone call might lead to something special.

“Oh my gosh, it’s been a journey,” said Jeffers, a Principal at CSO Architects in Indianapolis.

That phone call set in motion a small but focused effort to turn an idea into the National Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, a permanent tribute to the service members who fought in the first Gulf War.

Jeffers received that call from Lance Cpl. Scott Stump in December 2011, a Marine and Desert Storm veteran, whose dream was to create a national memorial honoring those who served in the Gulf War. He asked Jeffers, a veteran himself, for help.

“亚洲通 didn’t know what to do,” Jeffers said. “亚洲通 knew we needed something to show people, to get them excited, and to raise money and get this show on the road. And that’s what we did.”

He presented the idea to CSO’s Principal owners, including President Alan Tucker, all of whom agreed to provide some preliminary design services. Tucker turned to a fellow CSO partner, Randy Schumacher, for assistance in creating a design. From the start, the memorial was shaped by input from Desert Storm veterans. Schumacher conducted a survey, asking service members what imagery resonated most with their experience.

Two themes emerged: the strategic “left hook” maneuver that led to victory and the vast desert landscape. Inspired by these insights, Schumacher began sketching a curved wall—symbolizing the famed battle strategy—designed to provide a contemplative space shielded from the surrounding noise of the National Mall.

Over time, the design evolved, taking on a more abstract, yet deeply symbolic form. The final memorial will feature two sand dune-inspired walls, enclosing a contemplative space with three core elements: Storm Wall, a bas-relief carving that tells the story of the Gulf War; Inscription Wall, honors service and sacrifice; and the Unity Fountain, a 28-foot bronze shield recognizing the 39 coalition nations that fought together.

“I never thought I was going to design a memorial for the National Mall,” Schumacher said. “I wanted to give them the best darn design I could. I wanted to push the ball as far down the field as I could.”

Aside from the design, a significant hurdle along the journey was securing a location. The process took nearly four years as the team navigated the bureaucracy of eight federal agencies. Their persistence paid off, and they ultimately secured a prime site at 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue—right along the path