Ceremony Will Honor 1,049 Washington Service Members

Who Fell During Vietnam War

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, October 7, 2011, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund of Washington, DC (VVMF) will join First Gentleman Mike Gregoire, and John E. Lee,Director of Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, to honor Washington’s fallen Vietnam service members. The honored guests will be joined by Jan Scruggs, Founder and President of VVMF, the organization that built and manages the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – commonly called “The Wall” – on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Mr. Gregoire and Director Lee, both Vietnam veterans, will attend and speak at the ceremony, to be held at the State Legislative Building in Olympia, WA. The event will also serve as the official statewide kick off of a national “Call for Photos” campaign to collect the photographs of all Hometown Heroes whose names are inscribed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Currently, pictures of 571 of Washington’s heroes are missing.

When collected, all photos will be displayed by VVMF in The Education Center at The Wall – a multi-million dollar, state of the art learning facility to be built on the National Mall in Washington, DC. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, the Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on “The Wall,” including the 1,049 from the State of Washington. The Education Center will honor the sacrifices made by Washingtonians who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. 

Members of the public with photos of service members listed on “The Wall” are encouraged to bring their photos to the event.  They will be digitally scanned and later displayed in the Education Center at The Wall.

What:              “Washington Call For Photos Commemoration Ceremony” Friday October 7, 2011 – 10:00 AM

Location:         State Legislative Building, Columbia Room – 416 Sid Snyder SW Ave, Olympia

Speakers:       First Gentleman Mike Gregoire, Director of Veterans Affairs, John Lee, and VVMF Founder and President, Jan Scruggs; additional speakers TBD

Description:     30 minute speaking program followed by press availability; Scanners on site to upload photos brought by veterans and family members. 

In 1979, Jan Scruggs conceived the idea of building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., as a tribute to all who served during one of the longest wars in American history. Today, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is among the most visited memorials in the nation’s capital.  VVMF’s campaign to build the Education Center at The Wall continues its mission to preserve the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to promote healing, and to educate about the impact of the Vietnam War.

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