For Immediate Release

Contact: Lee Allen
February 21, 2012
(202) 393-0090 Ext. 109

Celebrating Black History Month:  VVMF Remembers Heroes from Vietnam Whose Stories will have Permanent Home at the Education Center at the Wall

Photos of 5,429 of 7,262 African American Vietnam Casualties Still Needed for Exhibit

Washington, DC– In celebration of Black History Month, the Vietnam Memorial Fund (VVMF) highlights the great contributions African American Servicemen and Women made to the Vietnam War.  VVMF has produced a short video featuring Brigadier General George Price, USA (Ret.), telling the story of Captain Riley Pitts, the first African American officer to be awarded the Medal of Honor. To learn more about African American service in the Vietnam War, view the video here: www.vvmf.org/history-month

“African Americans have served in every war waged by the United States,” says Brigadier General George Price, USA (Ret.), long-time supporter of VVMF and The Education Center. “Throughout the nation's history, black soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have contributed conspicuously to America's military efforts.”

The mission to honor all heroes continues with the National Call for Photos, a movement to collect photos of the 58,272 service-members inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, DC. When collected, all photos will be displayed for generations to come at The Education Center at The Wall, a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

VVMF has collected more than 30,000 pictures to date, including photos of only 1,833 African Americans. Generous support from volunteers, fellow service-members, family, and friends is still needed in order to gather the remaining 5,429 photos necessary to honor all African American heroes at The Education Center.

"We will not allow for African American casualties to be under-represented in The Education Center," says Harry G. Robinson III, Professor and Dean Emeritus of Howard University and member of VVMF's Board of Directors. "It would be a shame if these heroes, particularly those from our inner cities, aren't included simply because we couldn't step up and locate their pictures."

VVMF urges active involvement to assist the National Call for Photos by submitting photographs of fallen service-members and generously donating to the Education Center at The Wall, ensuring that the sacrifices of our military heroes are never forgotten.

How to Submit a Photo

If you have a picture of a loved one or fellow veteran whose name is on The Wall, please help the Memorial Fund honor these individuals by putting a face with a name.  

Submit Online

If you have a digital copy of the photograph, you can upload it at: http://vvmf.org/submit_other

Mail a copy of your photograph

Make a copy of your photo. VVMF cannot be responsible for returning photos to donors.  When having the photo copied, ask the photo professional to make it the highest quality possible, use a glossy finish and reproduce the photo at an 8 x 10 size, if possible.  Fill out the photo submission form. Please indicate on the front of the envelope that a photo is enclosed. Mail to:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Attn: Call for Photos
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Suite 104
Washington, D.C. 20037

For more information about how to add a photograph to the collection, please contact the Memorial Fund at (202) 393-0090 or via email at mjohnson@vvmf.org.

About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall

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.

With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, The Education Center at The Wall is a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art visitor’s center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on “The Wall,” and will forever honor those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org, calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.

# # # #