Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Encyclopedia
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
established on April 27, 1979, by Jan Scruggs
Jan Scruggs
Jan Scruggs is best known for being the founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Scruggs served as a corporal in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, and upon completion of his service attended American University in Washington, D.C where he obtained a master's degree in counseling...
, Jack Wheeler
John P. Wheeler III
John Parsons Wheeler, III, known as Jack Wheeler , was a chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, senior planner for Amtrak , official of the Securities and Exchange Commission , chief executive and CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, consultant to the Mitre Corporation , member of the...
, and several other Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veterans, finance the construction of a memorial to those Americans who died or were killed during the Vietnam War. The memorial was not designed to make a political statement about the war itself. From this fund came 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...
, dedicated by U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan on Veterans Day
Veterans Day
Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...
, 1982, on 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...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Funding
The founders of the memorial set forth to collect several million dollars from private investors. In its first three years, the VVMF collected more than $8 million from more than 275,000 donors.Contest
In October 1980, the VVMF announced a contest for the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would be open to anyone over 18 years of age. The contest was the largest of its kind ever held in the United States, with over 2,573 contestants, and was judged by eight professional artists and architects. The winner of the contest was Maya Ying Lin, who submitted the idea for a wall.Construction
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...
began on March 16, 1982, though the official ground-breaking was on Friday, March 26, 1982. The construction was finished in late October 1982. The memorial was formally dedicated on November 13, 1982. The Three Soldiers
The Three Soldiers
The Three Soldiers is a bronze statue, on the Washington, DC National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War. It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial.- Sculpture design and symbolism :This well-known sculpture by U.S...
statue by Frederick Hart
Frederick Hart (sculptor)
Frederick Elliott Hart was an American sculptor, best known for his public monuments and works of art in bronze, marble, and clear acrylic .-Biography:American master sculptor Frederick Hart is recognized for creating work that is at once traditional in its...
was added in 1984, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial
Vietnam Women's Memorial
The Vietnam Women's Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict. It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier...
was added in 1993.
Controversy
The various elements of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial complex on the National Mall have been a subject of numerous controversies revolving primarily around design issues, but also legal and business practices. Probably no other major US memorial has been as controversial. This perhaps partially reflects the controversial nature of the war itself.Today
Today, the VVMF continues to support the maintenance of the Memorial, though the memorial itself is maintained by National Park ServiceNational 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...
staff and some military representatives. It also funds the addition of new names to the Wall and creating directories of names currently on the Wall.
The Wall That Heals
The Wall That Heals is a traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial started in 1996. It also features a Traveling Museum and Information Center.The Education Center at The Wall
The Education Center at The WallThe Education Center at The Wall
The Education Center at The Wall is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund . 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...
is the newest initiative of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Approved by Congress in 2003 the Education Center is going to be a two story underground facility adjacent to 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...
. Groundbreaking is expected to occur in 2012.