United States Army veteran John “Jack” Monahan, who also serves as a World War One Centennial Commission representative, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast this Memorial Day to discuss the WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C. He also discussed the unveiling of a new sculpture at the memorial slated for this fall.
Monahan spent his college years with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, now a part of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. His father was a World War I veteran who spent his post-war working life as a member of the United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America, now part of the United Steelworkers. As a representative for the World War One Centennial Commission, Monahan now works to commemorate WWI and educate the public about the significance of the war.
He talked about the history of the commission and the work to get approval for the memorial – something he said took too long. Monahan said “bad timing” hindered efforts to gain the support needed for the memorial until 2014, when the Commission was formed with public funding. There is now a plan for a sculpture to join the memorial site at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
In lockstep with the American Legion, Monahan discussed how they figured out a way to create the memorial. He talked about how the Legionnaires spread the message about the need for a memorial and secured the support from the public. Monahan also spoke about the competition held for the sculpture design and the memorial’s dedication that occurred on April 16, 2021.
Listen to the show above for more information on the World War One Centennial Commission.