NBC Nightly News recently shared that only about 12 veterans who served during Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, remain with us. This is also true for another turning point of World War II: specifically, D-Day, June 6, 1944.
But today, we have some good news about a local project we’ve had a hand in, the National Memorial of Military Ascent in Grafton, Illinois. At its heart, the NMMA will educate and commemorate the actions of U.S. Army Rangers who ascended the bluffs at Pointe du Hoc, in Normandy, France, in June 1944. As the featured image above shows, those brave Rangers took out heavy German guns to ensure the Allies on Omaha Beach had safer passage, all while suffering heavy casualties themselves.
Thanks to a lot of planning and teamwork, including Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow, who helped kick off the vision for the NMMA, the climbing has begun, but your help is needed to make it to the top.
Phase 1 debuts 6/6/26
renderings for the NMMA.
On the limestone cliffs overlooking Grafton, in America’s heartland, the NMMA represents “shared purpose, pride, and gratitude.” This memorial and museum is taking shape for its June 6, 2026 debut, some 82 years after the Greatest Generation stormed the beaches of Normandy to deliver a wallop to Hitler’s troops. As this is being written, more bronze statues are being cast, construction is ongoing, and a team of veterans, community leaders, architects, builders, artists, and impassioned civilians are working tirelessly to bring the memorial to life.
And, though the climb has begun, this project is missing one key.
One decisive piece of making this ambitious and all-encompassing military memorial and museum a living one is through fundraising for the NMMA site, which will hold a visitors’ center, memorial wall, and museum honoring all branches of the military and educating the public. You can watch the recent NMMA video for the fascinating, behind-the-scenes details.
As planned, the entire NMMA project will stand as a “living tribute to the triumph of courage over fear.”
How to donate
Not only because we are part of building NMMA, but because we believe in its integrity and value to our region, are we asking you to consider making a donation to the efforts. It is a lasting project you’ll be proud to tell your children or grandchildren about or perhaps even bring them to visit. Any donations are greatly appreciated and go explicitly toward the Veteran’s Memorial Complex. You can view reports of NMMA funding with the Illinois Attorney General.
To donate, please visit the NMMA virtually, at their home donation page.
