The Education Center at The Wall
Encyclopedia
The Education Center at The Wall is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service
and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
(VVMF). The Center has been approved by Congress, and construction is planned for the National Mall
site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial and on the corner of Constitution Avenue
and 23rd Street. The two-story underground learning facility will be built in keeping with the design, tone, and mood of The Wall and so as not to detract from the historic vistas of the National Mall.
The purpose of the Education Center is to inform future generations of the honor and sacrifices made by those who served their country. The core of the center will revolve around seven traits that embody the American service member throughout the generations: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity, and Courage. A prominent feature of the Education Center will be the larger-than-life pictures of service members whose names adorn the polished black panels of The Wall. The pictures will be displayed on the service members birthdays and will add faces to the more than 58,000 names on The Wall and tell the stories of those who served. The Education Center will also feature displays of the more than 100,000 personal articles, letters, and gifts that have been left at the foot of the memorial since its dedication in 1982. Upon exiting the center, patrons will pass through the Hall of Heroes, featuring digital photographs depicting those who gave their lives in other wars, it serves to highlight America’s legacy of service and sacrifice.
Like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
, the Education Center at The Wall will be completely funded through private donations. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has embarked on a multi-year campaign to secure the nearly $85 million needed. The campaign leadership include Gen. Colin Powell
USA (Ret.) and Gen. Barry A. McCaffrey USA (Ret.). Actor Tom Selleck
serves as the National Spokesman. Groundbreaking on the Education Center at The Wall is expected in 2012.
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. , was a non-profit organization established on April 27, 1979, by Jan Scruggs, Jack Wheeler, and several other Vietnam War veterans, finance the construction of a memorial to those Americans who died or were killed during the Vietnam War. The memorial was...
(VVMF). The Center has been approved by Congress, and construction is planned for the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial and on the corner of Constitution Avenue
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
and 23rd Street. The two-story underground learning facility will be built in keeping with the design, tone, and mood of The Wall and so as not to detract from the historic vistas of the National Mall.
The purpose of the Education Center is to inform future generations of the honor and sacrifices made by those who served their country. The core of the center will revolve around seven traits that embody the American service member throughout the generations: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity, and Courage. A prominent feature of the Education Center will be the larger-than-life pictures of service members whose names adorn the polished black panels of The Wall. The pictures will be displayed on the service members birthdays and will add faces to the more than 58,000 names on The Wall and tell the stories of those who served. The Education Center will also feature displays of the more than 100,000 personal articles, letters, and gifts that have been left at the foot of the memorial since its dedication in 1982. Upon exiting the center, patrons will pass through the Hall of Heroes, featuring digital photographs depicting those who gave their lives in other wars, it serves to highlight America’s legacy of service and sacrifice.
Like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
, the Education Center at The Wall will be completely funded through private donations. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has embarked on a multi-year campaign to secure the nearly $85 million needed. The campaign leadership include Gen. Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
USA (Ret.) and Gen. Barry A. McCaffrey USA (Ret.). Actor Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
serves as the National Spokesman. Groundbreaking on the Education Center at The Wall is expected in 2012.