WATCH LIVE, Dedication of Desert Shield & Desert Storm Memorial, Washington DC – John A. Cianci

John A. Cianci, RINewsToday Veterans writer and Desert Storm Veteran with the first public photos of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial to be dedicated on Saturday October 24 2026.

The ceremony will be live streamed at 10am TODAY.

LIVE FEED HERE:  https://www.ndswm.org/live-feed

Members of the 119th Military Police Copany attending the Desert Sield and Storm Memorial dedication on Oct. 24 2026. All were members of the Rhode Island Army National Guard 119th MP Co. Warwick RI activated in 1990 and deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Desert Shield and Storm.

John tells us that the Eagle represents the United States followed by a Falcone representing Kuwait. US leading a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait.

Rhode Island Veterans Attending the Dedication of National Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial in Washington, D.C.

On Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EDT, our nation will formally dedicate the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial on the National Mall.

Organized by the National Desert Storm Memorial Association (NDSMA), the public ceremony honors the nearly 700,000 U.S. and coalition service members who answered the call during the 1990–1991 Gulf War, marking approximately 35 years since the conflict.

A dedicated contingent of Rhode Island Gulf War veterans with John A. Cianci including RINewstoday veteran contributor John A. Cianci, Desert Shield/Storm Veteran, Master Sergeant (retired)—will travel to the nation’s capital to attend the historic event.

Event Details & Memorial Architecture

Date & Time: Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT (Ceremony starts promptly at 11:00 a.m.)

Location: Southwest corner of Constitution Avenue NW and 23rd Street NW, Washington, D.C. (near the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial)

Admission: Open to the public; no registration or RSVP is required

Official Website: Learn more at NDSWM.org

About the Memorial

Designed to convey both the environmental challenges and the unity of coalition forces, the memorial features:

The Fallen: An inner sanctum featuring a dedicated wall engraved with the names of the 383 U.S. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Design Features: A prominent granite Storm Wall, lifelike bronze statues depicting service members clad in chemical warfare protective gear, and a Unity Shield water feature.

Coalition Recognition: Tributes recognizing the 34 international coalition member nations that stood alongside the United States to liberate Kuwait.

Rhode Island’s Service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

More than 3,000 Rhode Islanders deployed or served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm across active duty, National Guard, and Reserve components.

The Rhode Island National Guard mobilized four primary units for Southwest Asia operations:

1.    143rd Airlift Wing (Quonset Point): Executed critical airlift support from the U.S. into the European theater, transporting over 6,500 personnel and 161 tons of military cargo.

2.    118th Military Police Battalion (Headquarters): Arrived in Saudi Arabia in January 1991 to command four MP companies tasked with oversee Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) detainee operations.

3.    119th Military Police Company: Deployed in February 1991 and directly managed three major enemy prisoner-of-war camps in theater.

4.    115th Military Police Company: Deployed in February 1991, operating across seven locations in Southwest Asia to conduct base security, VIP escorts, personal security details, and customs enforcement.

Rhode Island Veterans Connecting at the Dedication

For Rhode Island veterans attending, the dedication represents both a solemn tribute and an opportunity to reunite with fellow service members.

“We are hoping to connect with other Rhode Island Desert Storm veterans before, during, and after the dedication,”said veteran John A. Cianci.

Cianci served with the 119th Military Police Company, mobilizing from Warwick, Rhode Island to Fort Pickett before deploying to Saudi Arabia. The unit eventually relocated to Hafar Al-Batin to support the 402nd Military Police POW Camp. Over the course of the conflict, the camp processed and held over 25,000 Iraqi prisoners of war until the conclusion of hostilities.

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John A. Cianci is a Veteran Service Officer. Retired, U.S. Army MSgt., Persian Gulf War and Iraq War combat theater.

Cianci, a combat disabled Veteran, served in Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His awards include Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, Good Conduct, and others.

Cianci belongs to numerous veterans organizations – Italian American War Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War, and many more organizations. He is an active volunteer assisting veterans to navigate federal and state benefits they have earned. He is Department of Rhode Island Department Commander Italian American War Veterans and Veteran Service Officer.

He is a graduate of Roger Williams University (BS Finance), UCONN business school* (Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans), Solar Energy International Residential, Commercial and Battery Based Photovoltaic Systems certificate programs, numerous certificates from the Department of Defense renewable energy programs, including graduate of the Solar Ready Vets Program.

John’s column, RI Veterans Voice appears in RINewsToday every Thursday:  https://rinewstoday.com/john-a-cianci/