Special Employee-Contributed Exhibit On Display Through November 19

ALEXANDRIA, VA–Now through November 19, members of the public can see keepsakes and stories of military service from USPTO employees and their loved ones at the Veterans Keepsake Project exhibit at Gallery 600, located on the concourse level of the Madison building on the east side of the auditorium. The exhibit is sponsored by the USPTO Military Association (UMA) in partnership with the Office of the Chief Communications Officer.

The collection of large-format portraits includes reflections on the importance of the keepsakes, cradled in the hands of USPTO employees, and of military service more broadly.

In one photo, Troy Tyler, an administrative officer at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), holds a replica of a section of T-wall, a twelve-foot-high, steel-reinforced concrete barrier used for blast protection and recounts a near-death experience from when he was stationed in Iraq in 2004.

“I had stopped to refuel my vehicle across from a small container yard next to a row of T-walls,” he says. “I heard a distinctive sound like a ‘thwoosh’ that immediately brought back memories of combat training from my early years of military service. I immediately turned and ran for cover. A mortar round landed just behind me in the container yard, where a combination of the T-walls and the containers absorbed the brunt of the blast. Were it not for the T-walls and the containers, things could have turned out much worse.”

Tyler also reflects on the significance of his service. He says, “I believe it is truly an honor to serve, because you have the opportunity to protect this country and our way of life from anyone or anything that would threaten it.” When asked about his 29-year military career with deployments to three combat zones, Tyler said, “I would do it all again, in a heartbeat.”

Where:

USPTO, Madison Building
600 Dulany St.
Alexandria, VA 22314

When:

Now through November 19, 2018

Admission:

Free