Memorial for disabled veterans opens in D.C.

The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated Sunday in a ceremony that focused on life after war and the many sacrifices disabled veterans still make.

President Obama spoke at the ceremony of the cost of war and the painful legacy it leaves behind.

“Each of you endured a moment that shaped the arc of your lives and that speaks to our debt as a nation,” Obama said. “It was the moment that binds each of you forever, that moment of realization that life would not be the same.”

The memorial was designed as a space for disabled veterans and those they love to find quiet reflection. A ceremonial flame hovers over a reflecting pool, surrounded by granite and glass walls and a grove of trees.

“This is the first and only memorial, that is designed to honor the living. There are no other memorials in Washington that honor the living individuals,” said Art Wilson, the memorial’s co-founder.

Congress authorized the memorial in 2000 and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.