Media Release

Joe Szakacs MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Joe Szakacs has visited the National World War I Memorial in Washington DC, paying tribute to the nearly five million Americans who served in WWI and remembering the brave Australian service personnel who fought alongside them.

Located near the White House in Pershing Park, the Memorial opened in 2021 to honour the millions of Americans who served in WWI and pay tribute to 116,516 who lost their lives.

The war’s broader impacts on families, communities, and global affairs are also recognised through the Memorial’s centrepiece, a 17-metre-long sculpture called ‘A Soldier’s Journey’, by New York artist Sabin Howard.

The impressive and thought-provoking artwork includes 38 figures that depict an American soldier’s journey through war and homecoming.

For Australians, WWI remains a defining moment of our national identity. More than 60,000 Australians were killed including almost 6,000 South Australians.

Many more Australians returned home with both the physical and psychological wounds of war.

Today, both nations continue to host significant commemorations and events on 11 November to remember when, in 1918, an Armistice between the Allied nations and Germany effectively ended the War.

Australians commemorate the occasion as Remembrance Day while the US has marked the date as its Veterans’ Day since 1954.

The commitment to serving and supporting veterans is a central pillar of the deep relationship between South Australia and the United States, and a key underpinning element of Minister Szakacs’ trade and economic mission to Washington DC.

Every year on Anzac Day, millions turn out across the nation to honour the more than 8,000 Australians who died fighting alongside New Zealanders during WWI at Gallipoli, in modern day Türkiye.

ANZAC Day observances have been held at the National WWI Memorial, connecting Australians in the U.S. and at home with this shared space of remembrance.

Quotes attributable to Joe Szakacs
The cost of WWI on the people of the United States was staggering, not only in terms of the lives lost but also the broader implications to families, children, and communities.

Australians and Americans have served shoulder to shoulder for over a century in defence of freedom and peace. This deep mutual respect underpins the strength of our future economic relationship, particularly the generational investment in AUKUS.

It was a privilege to visit and reaffirm South Australia’s ongoing commitment to remembering those who served, acknowledging not only those whose names are well known, but also those whose stories are passed down in families, local memorials, and collective national memory.

The National WWI Memorial, with its design, thought-provoking artwork, and informative exhibitions, is a credit to the US.