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The
Vietnam Veterans
Memorial was founded
by Jan Scruggs, who
served in Vietnam
(in the 199th Light
Infantry Brigade)
from 1969-1970 as a
infantry corporal.
He wanted the
memorial to
acknowledge and
recognize the
service and
sacrifice of all who
served in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund, Inc.
(VVMF), a nonprofit
charitable
organization, was
incorporated on
April 27, 1979, by a
group of Vietnam
veterans (John
Wheeler, Chairman of
the Board for VVMF,
served in Vietnam as
a captain at U.S.
Army headquarters
from 1969-1970;
Robert Doubek, VVMF
project director,
then executive
director, served in
Vietnam from
1968-1969 as an Air
Force intelligence
officer) in
Washington, D.C. Jan
Scruggs (President
of VVMF) lobbied
Congress for a two
acre plot of land in
the Constitution
Gardens. Significant
initial support came
from U.S. Senators
Charles McC.
Mathias, Jr. (on
November 8, 1979,
Senator Mathias
introduced
legislation to
authorize a site of
national parkland
for the Memorial) of
Maryland and John W.
Warner (Senator
Warner launched the
first significant
financial
contributions to the
national fund
raising campaign) of
Virginia. On July 1,
1980, in the Rose
Garden, President
Jimmy Carter signed
the legislation (P.L.
96-297) to provide a
site in Constitution
Gardens near the
Lincoln Memorial. It
was a three and half
year task to build
the memorial and to
orchestrate a
celebration to
salute those who
served in Vietnam.
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There are 58,195 names on the wall.
A
1780 names
B
5502 names
C
4363 names
D
2790 names
E
1082 names
F
1979 names
G
3036 names
H
4463 names
I
218 names
J
1845 names
K
2039 names
L
2594 names
M
5535 names
N
991 names
O
823 names
P
2883 names
Q
117 names
R
3022 names
S
5782 names
T
2128 names
U
154 names
V
764 names
W
3750 names
X
1 name
Y
308 names
Z
217 names |
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