Names of Vietnam veterans at Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I was watching television, and I saw a commercial that was promoting a new education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It reminded me of a past blog I wrote (The Importance of Paper at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) about all of the trinkets and letters that are left at the wall. When I visited last fall, the wall was full of letters to fallen soldiers. This education center will be a place to remember and preserve those letters and mementos.
According to www.buildthecenter.vvmf.org, the Education Center will give a face to the faceless. Many people today were not alive when the Vietnam War occurred, and the soldiers who do remember the war are beginning to pass away. This is a great way to preserve and remember the past.
According to the website, the “Wall of Faces” exhibit will display the faces of the 58,282 soldiers whose names are memorialized in the Vietnam Memorial. The “Collection Section” will display over 200,000 personal items that were left at the wall. It will include items such as mementos, tokens, trinkets, letters and photographs.
According to the video (below) on the website, the education center will share the story of Vietnam soldiers. Upon entering the center, guests will receive a soldier’s dog tags. When walking around the center, they will have opportunities to learn more about that solider.
I think this will be a great way to remember fallen soldiers and pay tribute to those who fought for our country. It will leave a lasting impact. I also think it’s great that visitors will be able to see personal letters, photographs, and trinkets that were left for soldiers on the wall. It’s nice to know that these items were cherished and not simply discarded.
To donate, get involved or learn more, visit www.buildthecenter.vvmf.org. Here is a short YouTube video about the center.
