June 6, 2025: Unite for Veterans Rally in Washington, D.C.
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗹𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Last Friday—on the 81st anniversary of D-Day—thousands of veterans, military families, and supporters gathered on the National Mall in DC for the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 rally.
They came from across the country to demand what veterans deserve:
Jobs.
Benefits.
Healthcare.
My husband and I showed up to stand with them.
To hear their stories. To thank them for their service.
And to honor the legacy of his grandfather, who served in WWII.
It was the biggest event we’ve attended so far.
It mattered.
It was powerful.
And it was personal.
I felt the weight of the day the moment I stepped onto the Mall.
The history.
The urgency.
The solidarity.
Most of the veterans I spoke with had already heard about the DOD photo purge—tens of thousands of historic military images wiped from the record—specifically targeting photos of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ service members.
They were appalled by the betrayal and the erasure of their service.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.
That’s why I came with more than just a sign.
I came to raise awareness about the work Visual Truth Matters is doing to preserve the full visual record of military service—and make sure the legacy of those who served isn’t quietly erased.
𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻.
See the veterans, signs, and moments that made this day unforgettable.
And learn more about the campaign at the link in the comments.
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧/𝘈𝘗 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴