WASHINGTON — The White House said Thursday that a planned Veterans Day march on the National Mall will go forward, but only under a new federal program requiring every attendee to verify they have been thanked for their service.
The program, called the Unified Gratitude Initiative, was created by executive order Wednesday night. It directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to install 400 self-service kiosks around the Mall by Nov. 11. Each kiosk will scan a veteran's ID and print a receipt confirming the holder received official appreciation. Marshals will check receipts at all entry points.
The order followed Tuesday's midterm result, which stripped Wimpy Donnie Dipshit's party of the House majority. The former president did not mention the defeat in public. A senior official said the kiosks would restore order to veteran gatherings.
"We fully support the right to assemble," said Margaret Cleary, director of the Department of Civic Expression. "But gratitude is a fragile emotion. Without a validated receipt, it is hard to tell an approved thank-you from an unapproved complaint. The kiosk removes that confusion."
Under the new protocol, signs must be pre-cleared at the kiosk touchscreen. Users will choose from five approved messages: "Thank you for your service," "We appreciate you," "Heroes welcome," "Grateful nation," and "Please return to designated area." Any other wording will be removed. Staff will replace it with a laminated copy of an approved phrase.
The kiosks will be operated by Patriotscan Solutions, a Delaware company that received a $94 million no-bid contract on Wednesday. Company records list no prior experience with kiosks, printing, or veterans. A spokesman declined to say how the contract was awarded.
Cleary said the agency was not limiting speech. "This is not about silencing anyone," she said. "It is about making sure every voice is converted into the correct format before it is counted."
Veterans groups called the program unnecessary. Kris Goldsmith, an organizer of the march, said service members did not need a receipt to know what they had done. He said the event was about democracy, not applause.
"We are not asking to be thanked," Goldsmith said. "We are asking to be heard. There is no kiosk for listening."
The kiosks will run on a five-minute timer. After printing a receipt, the screen will lock and display a short video of a waving flag. Users who exit before the video ends will have their receipts marked "incomplete."
Veterans who cannot attend in person may request a remote thanking session. The department will email them a PDF receipt within six to eight weeks. The PDF will expire if not opened within 72 hours.
The order defines "service" as any period of active duty after Jan. 20, 2017. Veterans who served before that date are eligible for a standard-format thank-you but not the premium gold-foil version.
The department has ordered 1.2 million rolls of receipt paper for the event. An official said this ensures no veteran leaves the Mall unthanked. The official did not say what happens if a veteran refuses to collect one.
The department also announced a companion hotline for veterans who feel insufficiently thanked. Callers will be placed on hold for 90 minutes while a recording of applause plays. After the applause ends, a recorded voice says, "Your call is important to us." It then hangs up.
