Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has a Mission: Match Faces to the 58,315 Names

The people behind the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. hope to put a face to every name on The Wall.

Honoring American veterans who died fighting in the Vietnam War, The Wall consists of over 58,000 names. Lancaster Online reports theVietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is seeking help to match photos to each and every name.

The Virtual Wall of Faces on the VVMF website has already collected many photos; however, some names remain faceless. VVMF is encouraging the public to submit photos of anyone whose name is listed on The Wall, whether or not there is already a photo of the individual.

VVMF is also currently attempting to raise around $130 million to build an Education Center at The Wall, an interactive learning facility intended to ensure that the stories of the Vietnam War will never be forgotten: “More than 60% of the U.S. population was not alive during the Vietnam War,” the campaign website notes.  April 30 will mark the 42nd anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.

“Now, more than ever, we need to educate younger generations about the significance of the Vietnam Era and the important role that The Wall played in the history of our nation.” The Education Center will be a means to “bridge this generation gap.” VVMF plans to have a digital display of the Wall of Faces in the Education Center, making the mission to find photos to match each name even more significant.

https://youtu.be/ee786uNvkiI

Nowadays, when there is very little taught in grade schools about the Vietnam War and its tremendous impacts, exhibitions like this are more important than ever. Members of Lancaster Chapter 1008, Vietnam Veterans of America, have created a Q & A program for the veterans to participate in at local high schools to ensure that younger generations are learning about a major period in history that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Continuing to educate the younger masses is a mission these organizations are pressed to take on, as new generations become more and more distanced from the Vietnam War. As we lose more Vietnam veterans with each passing day, we lose stories that, if given the opportunity, can be preserved for posterity.

If you have a photo of any of the veterans listed on The Wall, please go here to learn how to submit it.

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