Former NFL QB Robert Griffin III Surprised by Army Veteran Dad at New USAA National Mall Monument

Retired NFL player Robert Griffin III, the son of two military parents, recently received quite the surprise ahead of Veterans Day.

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) commissioned the National Military Monument, a digital tribute to those who served that currently resides in Lincoln Memorial Plaza.

It is on display through Nov. 12 and is where Griffin and other visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., marveled at a new temporary monument honoring America’s veterans. For the former pro athlete, it meant even more.

In an interview with Military.com, the ex-quarterback more widely known as RGIII said the idea of his appearance came from the USAA as a way of honoring the nation’s veterans.

“It truly means something to me, having two parents who served,” RGIII said. “I understand the sacrifices and the lifestyle that our military veterans and their families live.”

RGIII Surprised at Monument By Veteran Dad

RGIII’s visit to the National Military Monument included a family surprise.

The USAA arranged for his father, 61-year-old retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Griffin Jr., to visit the monument and walk up behind his son as RGIII viewed the scrolling list of names.

RGIII said he had texted his father earlier and received no indication that his father was there.

“A lot of times in our community, not just the military community but the Black community, you don’t get an opportunity to truly tell people how you feel about them and how much you appreciate them while they’re still here,” RGIII said. “With my dad, I’m glad that he’s able to hear me as his son, how much I appreciate him and what he’s done for my life.”

RGIII was born in Japan, where his mom, Jacqueline, and dad were U.S. Army sergeants stationed in Okinawa at the time.

He became a professional NFL football player, playing from 2012 to 2021 for the then-named Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens.

But he credits his success to the discipline he learned growing up in a military family.

“As a child, it’s ‘yes or no, sir.’ You’re told to have discipline,” he said. “But when you’re six years old, you don’t know what discipline is. “But as you grow, and as you age, you start to understand exactly where all those lessons from the military start to pop up. And for me, it was: you show up early, you leave late. You have the discipline to finish what you start.”

Interactive Display of 41 Million Veterans, Service Members

The National Military Monument consists of two 18-foot-tall, double-sided digital displays on the National Mall designed to resemble rippling American flags.

Instead of traditional stripes, the massive screens continuously scroll through the names of more than 41 million U.S. veterans and active-duty service members from the Revolutionary War to the present.

Visitors can use on-site interactive kiosks, scan QR codes or check the database via the remote USAA National Military Monument Database to locate a specific name and project it onto the screen.

“I think it looks phenomenal. I think it should stay here 24/7,” RGIII said. “It almost looks like the names are chiseled into the monument even though they’re digital. So, just the attention to detail is exactly the amount of attention to detail that our military veterans deserve. It looks absolutely stunning.”

The elder Griffin shared the same feelings for his son and his siblings.

“Every moment with my son and my daughters . . . is great,” Robert Jr. said. “All the work that we put in, developing them, raising them, traveling with them, we just want to see them thrive.”

The father and son embraced just as Robert Griffin Jr.’s name was displayed on the monument.

How USAA Compiled 41 Million Names

On the monument’s website, USAA organizers said the exhibit was designed to be interactive and informative. According to the site, no single, comprehensive public record of every U.S. service member exists.

USAA verified and cataloged the names using multiple public records and data sources to honor as many service members as possible.

“This is about being part of something bigger than yourself,” RGIII said. “Not everybody can say that they are responsible for the freedoms of the people who get to walk around this country every single day. To me, that is something that is so special.”

Founded in 1922 by military officers, USAA has served the military community for more than a century. RGIII said that without the organization bringing him and his dad together, the moment perhaps may not have happened.

“He is obviously the reason that RGIII is here,” said the ex-QB. “He coached me when I was a kid. He taught me what I needed to know about life, him and my mom.

“I’m very thankful that my dad was able to serve our country and come home and be a father and really love his family. He deserves everything in the world and, you know, I think the world of him.”