Call for Photos of Iowa Vietnam Veterans Lost in the War

A news release:

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has coordinated with local organizations and volunteers nationwide in a call for photographs and back stories of the servicemen and women who gave their lives in the Vietnam War.

The photos and stories will be displayed at The Education Center at The Wall in Washington, D.C.  VVMF is also calling on the generous support of Americans to help raise the funds to build this facility.

In 2003, legislation passed that authorized the construction of the Educational Center at The Wall by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Plans for the exhibitions at the center include the display of pictures and stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, some of the 400,000 items left at The Wall and a celebration of American service from Bunker Hill to Baghdad.

Out of the 58,286 men and women who did not return from the Vietnam War there are still over 26,000 Vietnam veterans listed on The Wall who need corresponding photographs and stories.

Bianca Bahary, a spokesperson for the effort  said in a news release that Viet­nam vet­er­ans are dying at an alarm­ingly fast rate. Each day, about 390 ar lost to ill­ness and age, and their sto­ries are in dan­ger of being lost for­ever action isn’t taken now to ensure they become a part of the nation’s collective mem­ory. Tens of thou­sands gave their lives dur­ing the many years of con­flict and their names are etched into the black gran­ite.

“But as they are on the memorial, they are more than names and so we must do our part to remem­ber them,” Bahary said.

The call for photos is part of the Faces Never Forgotten campaign, encouraging friends and families of veterans, as well as every citizen, to ensure that the memories and stories of those inscribed on The Wall are never forgotten.  VVMF hopes to give every service member the honor of being fully remembered as a person and not just a name.

"To complete the mission and begin construction of the Education Center, we will continue to depend on the dedication and generosity of those individuals, organizations and communities that make it their goal to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and contribute in their honor," said Jan C. Scruggs, president and founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

The cost of construction for the Education Center is $115 million, of which $26.9 million has been raised to date. Like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Education Center at The Wall will be completely funded through private donations.

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

The Education Center at The Wall will be a place on the National Mall where military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With plans to begin construction in 2016, the Center is a technologically-innovative learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact that the Vietnam War and other wars had on their friends and family members, their hometowns and the nation. 

The Center will feature the faces and stories of the more than 58,000 men and women on The Wall, honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. The Center will also celebrate the legacy of service that links the heroes of America's past to those still serving today.

Guidelines for submitting photos are found here.