For Immediate Release April 16, 2008

Contact: Lisa Gough (202) 393-0090, ext.109 Cell: (703) 915-3072

Media Advisory
IN MEMORY DAY CEREMONY TO HONOR 75 AMERICAN HEROES
Monday, Apr. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

What:	The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory Day Ceremony will honor 75 individuals who died as a result of the Vietnam War, but who do not meet the Department of Defense guidelines for inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. For a list of 2008 In Memory honorees by state, click here.
Who:	Nearly 1,000 family members, friends and veterans are expected to attend this year’s ceremony. Family members will read aloud the names of their loved ones being honored and will place tributes at the panel of The Wall that corresponds most closely to the honorees’ dates of service. Throughout the ceremony, volunteers and friends will read the names of the 1,676 past honorees.
Speakers and Performers
	Richard C. Schneider, executive director of government affairs, Non Commissioned Officers Association of the USA Oscar Perales and Lt. Cmdr. Mary Susan Farace, USN, brother and niece of 2004 Honoree Armando Perales Judy Moon, wife of 2007 Honoree Leslie William Moon Jan Scruggs, founder and president, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Margaret “Peggy” O’Dell, superintendent, National Mall and Memorial Parks Singer/songwriter Chuck Price, performing “The Unsung Heroes”
When:	Monday, April 21 at 10 a.m.
Where:	The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Constitution Ave. and 21st St. NW, Washington, D.C.  Parking along Constitution Ave. is  permitted after 9:30 a.m.
Sponsors:	The Non Commissioned Officers Association of the USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is the sponsor of this year’s In Memory Day ceremony. NCOA has sponsored this ceremony since 2004.  The Capital Hilton is providing discounted rooms for participants.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Since then, the Memorial Fund has evolved into an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. Its initiatives include educational programs for students and educators, a traveling Wall replica that honors our nation’s veterans and a humanitarian and mine-action program in Vietnam. The Memorial Fund is also building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an underground educational facility, near The Wall.

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