Theo tin Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
6/15/2017 11:01 AM
For Immediate Release
June 12, 2017
VVMF’s In Memory Ceremony to honor 412 Vietnam veterans whose lives were cut short by their service
More than forty years after the end of the War, veterans and their families still impacted
Washington, D.C. – More than forty years after the end of the Vietnam War, American veterans and their families continue to feel the effects of their service in Vietnam. At the In Memory ceremony this Saturday, June 17th, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) will honor 412 veterans whose lives were cut short as a result of their service in Vietnam, but are not eligible for inscription on The Wall under Department of Defense guidelines.
“There are 58,318 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; names of men and women who died on the battlefield of the Vietnam War. Those men and women are honored on a daily basis by everyone who sees The Wall. There are many thousands more who died as a result of the Vietnam War, but their deaths do not fit the Department of Defense criteria for inclusion on The Wall. VVMF’s In Memory program honors those veterans, many of whom came home to fight a whole new battle and never fully recovered either physically or emotionally. It is our duty to make sure their sacrifice is never forgotten,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF.
VVMF will host the nineteenth annual In Memory ceremony this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. More than 2,000 family and friends are expected in attendance. The master of ceremonies will be Capt. Denis Faherty, USN (ret.) and former Deputy Director of the National Strategic War Gaming Center, National Defense University. The keynote speaker for the day will be Jim Knotts. During the In Memory ceremony, the names of the 412 honorees will be read aloud.
In Memory began in 1999 and has since honored more than 3,200 veterans. The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2004. It reads: In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.
Examples of causes of death that fit the criteria for inclusion in the program include: exposure to Agent Orange, cancer, heart disease, and PTSD-related events. For more information on the In Memory program – including how to apply to have a loved one honored next year – or to learn more about the veterans who are part of the In Memory Honor Roll, please visit: www.vvmf.org/inmemory.
About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C. in 1982. VVMF continues to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families. VVMF’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era.
VVMF is in the fundraising stages to build the Education Center at The Wall. The Center will be an interactive learning facility on the National Mall where our military heroes’ stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the more than 58,000 men and women on The Wall and honor America’s Legacy of Service, including those serving in our nation’s armed forces today. Time Warner is the Lead Gift Benefactor in the campaign to build the Education Center at The Wall. To learn more about VVMF and the Education Center at The Wall, visit www.vvmf.org or call 866-990-WALL.
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Contact: Heidi Zimmerman
202-765-3773
hzimmerman@vvmf.org
http://www.vvmf.org/news/article=In-Memory-Ceremony-to-honor-412-Vietnam-veterans-whose-lives-were-cut-short-by-their-service