Memorial officials call for photos of Vietnam vets

  • Published
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The National Call for Photos, a campaign to gather images of the more than 58,000 men and women whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was launched recently at an event here hosted by officials with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and FedEx Office.

FedEx Office officials will use their locations across the country to help in gathering photos.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here, promoting healing and educating people about the impact of the Vietnam War.

The fund's latest initiative is The Education Center at The Wall, an underground facility near the memorial that is being designed to help visitors discover the stories of those named on The Wall and celebrate the values embodied by servicemembers from all of America's wars.

Exhibits will include a wall of photographs of people whose names are on The Wall, a selection of the more than 100,000 items that have been left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a timeline of key military events of the Vietnam War and a history of the memorial.

The center also will celebrate the values embodied by America's servicemembers: loyalty, duty, respect, service, honor, integrity and courage, officials said. An exhibit will show images of those who have served in America's conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq.

More than $20 million has been raised for the education center, including a $10 million gift from Time Warner. It is estimated that the center will cost $85 million to build.

Other Memorial Fund initiatives include educational programs for students and teachers, a traveling Wall replica that honors veterans and a humanitarian and mine-action program in Vietnam. (Courtesy of American Forces Press Service)