Rally on D-Day Anniversary to Defend Veteran Benefits and VA Services

Rally in Washington D.C. Commemorates D-Day and Advocates for Veterans

On June 6, marking the anniversary of D-Day, a rally organized by the Unite for Veterans Coalition will take place in Washington, D.C. This event, styled after the 1932 Bonus Army march, will feature registered nurses from the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and other notable speakers. The rally aims to address concerns about proposed cuts to veteran benefits and attempts to privatize the Veterans Affairs (VA) system.

Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse and chair of NNU’s VA Division, articulated the nurses' commitment: “Nurses are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our veterans as we fight for the highest quality of care for those who put their lives on the line to serve our country.” She highlighted the imminent risk of losing thousands of VA positions, stating, “These cuts are a betrayal of the promise we made to our veterans. Our veterans deserve what they were promised: access to health care, mental health support, and a fully staffed, well-functioning VA.”

Event Details:

What: Unite for Veterans, Unite for America rally

Who: Featured speakers include Irma Westmoreland, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and former Rep. Conor Lamb.

When: Friday, June 6, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EST

Where: The National Mall, Washington, D.C., north of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum at 6th Street.

The historical context of the rally draws on the 1932 Bonus Army, where approximately 17,000 World War I veterans and their supporters marched on Washington to demand promised bonuses. The protest ended in violence, with police firing upon the demonstrators.

Currently, the rally coincides with federal workers, including nurses, contesting an executive order issued on March 27 that seeks to remove their collective bargaining rights under the pretext of national security. According to a fact sheet, the administration claims federal employee unions have “declared war” on its agenda. In response, NNU and other unions have filed a lawsuit challenging these measures.

Nurses are also advocating for the VA Employee Fairness Act, which was reintroduced on May 7 to restore full collective bargaining rights to VA clinical staff.

Westmoreland emphasized, “We know justice is worth fighting for and we will not be silenced in the advocacy for our veterans. We’ve seen an attempt to chill our efforts to defend the VA by this administration when it issued an executive order attempting to strip us of our collective bargaining rights. But nurses are tough. When the fate of a person’s life is put in your hands every day, you grow a backbone of steel. We are up to this fight and we intend to keep fighting and keep speaking out to ensure the integrity of the VA and compassionate justice for our veterans.”

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.