For Immediate Release
Sept. 2, 2010		 Contact: Lisa Gough
(202) 393-0090, ext. 109


WASHINGTON GOV. CHRIS GREGOIRE JOINS THE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR
THE EDUCATION CENTER AT THE WALL

Washington, D.C. – Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington state has joined the leadership team for the campaign to build The Education Center at The Wall, announced Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the group that is leading the drive to build the Education Center.

The Education Center is a facility being built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., that will put faces to the more than 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Center will tell the stories of those who served in Vietnam and recognize the values common to all service members.

“As the spouse of a Vietnam veteran, Gov. Gregoire knows the special challenges this generation of service members has faced,” said Scruggs. “Her knowledge and experience make her a critical addition to our leadership team.”

Gregoire’s husband, Mike “First Mike” Gregoire, served as an Army first lieutenant in Vietnam from 1970-71.  Mike is a powerful spokesman for veteran’s rights in the state of Washington and is particularly concerned with addressing veteran’s mental health issues.

“The men and women whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and they deserve the respect and gratitude of us all,” said Gregoire. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the leadership team to help build the Education Center at The Wall. Once complete, it will be a tribute to the service and courage of the fallen soldiers during this war and ensure their stories will be remembered always.”

Gregoire joins 22 other governors on the leadership team for the Center. Members of the leadership team provide ideas, recruit supporters and lead grassroots efforts to raise awareness and gather photos of the individuals from their states whose names are on The Wall.

As a member of the leadership team, Gregoire will help VVMF gather photos of the 1,048 individuals from Washington whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The images being collected will be included on a Wall of Faces that will show, on their birthdays, photos of those who died or remain missing from the Vietnam War. Other exhibits planned for the Education Center will include a display showcasing some of the more than 100,000 items that have been left in tribute at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a timeline of events during the Vietnam War and a history of the creation of The Wall.

Gregoire is Washington state’s second female governor.  She has championed education reforms in the state, including lifting the levy lid to allow school districts to ask voters for additional funding, and implementing a program of early learning for students who are educationally at-risk. She is also dedicated to civil rights, granting same-sex couples domestic partnership rights in 2007 and signing the Family Leave Act in 2006, allowing employees extra leave after the birth of a child.

Elected to a second term in 2008, Gregoire is committed to creating jobs in Washington state during the current economic downturn through the “Washington JOBS now” legislation, expanding business and creating family-wage jobs in the state.

By joining the leadership team, Gregoire is helping future generations learn about an important time in our nation’s history. Around $26 million has been raised, including the lead gift of $10 million from Time Warner. VVMF has received donations from corporations, organizations, veterans groups and individuals. For more information on the Center, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

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.  Authorized by Congress, its most recent initiative is building The Education Center at The Wall, an underground facility near the Memorial that is designed to add faces to all the names on The Wall and tell their stories.  Other Memorial Fund initiatives include educational programs for students and teachers, a traveling Wall replica that honors our nation's veterans and a humanitarian and mine-action program in Vietnam.

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