The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a nonprofit veterans service organization founded in 2003 to support post-9/11 wounded service members, their families, and caregivers. Its visual identity centers on a single, enduring symbol: a silhouette of one warrior carrying another off the battlefield, a mark the organization describes as signifying one warrior carrying another. [1]
Design and History
WWP began in 2003 as a grassroots effort by veterans and friends to provide comfort items to wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The organization registered its trademark logo in 2005, with the mark described in federal court records as a relief image of one soldier carrying another on his back with the words “wounded warrior project” below. [2] [3]
The logo has remained consistent for two decades. In 2023, WWP marked its 20th anniversary, and the organization’s own communications still described the logo as signifying one warrior carrying another. [1] The mark has also been applied to physical objects, including the backpacks WWP distributes to wounded warriors, which carry a white version of the logo on the front. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo’s meaning is directly tied to WWP’s peer support mission. The organization describes the image as depicting one warrior carrying another off the battlefield, a symbol of its Peer Support program, where injured veterans rely on one another’s experiences to manage daily challenges. [5]
WWP has developed its own language around the mark. Warriors and staff use the phrase “living the logo” to describe the transition from being the warrior carried on top to becoming the warrior on the bottom who carries others. [6] The organization has registered “LIVING THE LOGO” as a trademark. [7]
WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington described the logo’s significance in 2023: “It symbolizes our commitment to those we serve, supporting them along their journeys of recovery and healing. But it also holds a deeper meaning in that those who were once carried can and will become a pillar of strength for others.” [1]
Typography and Design
Federal trademark records describe the full mark as consisting of a relief image of one soldier carrying another on his back with the words “wounded warrior project” below. [3] The organization restricts use of its logo, requiring registered fundraisers to follow logo guidelines before placing the mark on materials, items, or apparel. [8]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
