Additions bring total number honored on The Wall to 58,279

(09/15/2020 – 5:00 pm EST)

Each spring, VVMF works with the Department of Defense to make updates to The Wall. If the Department of Defense determines that a service member has met the criteria for addition to The Wall, their name is added. Service members repatriated in the previous year have their status symbols changed.

This year, there were three additions to The Wall, bringing the total number of names on The Wall to 58,279. There were also three service members who were repatriated in 2019 and those service members had their status symbols changed on The Wall. The number of Americans still listed as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War stands at 1,586.

Beside each name on The Wall is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes that the service member is known dead or presumed dead. The cross symbol denotes that the service member was missing or prisoner status when The Wall was built in 1982 and remains unaccounted for today. When a service member is repatriated, the diamond is superimposed over the cross.

Name additions and status changes are usually done annually in May followed by a Reading of the Names during the Memorial Day ceremony. However, the engraving was postponed to the fall this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These service members will be officially welcomed home at the next in-person ceremony at The Wall.

These three service members had their names added to The Wall in 2020:

LAWRENCE R OLIVEIRA

CPT, U.S. Army

Hana, Hawaii

Panel W24, Line 108

 

MICHAEL C QUIRE

PFC, U.S. Army

Dayton, Ohio

Panel 18E, Line 72

 

FREDERICK M ZIOMEK

LCPL, U.S. Marine Corps

Buffalo, New York

Panel W11, Line 69

 

These three service members were repatriated in 2019:

 

RAUL A GUERRA

SN, U.S. Navy

Los Angeles, Calif.

Panel 27E, Line 71

 

ROY A KNIGHT JR

COL, U.S. Air Force

Millsap, Texas

Panel 20E, Line 45

 

NEAL C WARD

MAJ, U.S. Air Force

College Station, Texas

Panel W22, Line 39

The Department of Defense sets the criteria for, and makes decisions about, whose names are eligible for inscription on The Wall. VVMF pays for the name additions and status changes and partners with the National Park Service to ensure the long-term care and preservation of The Wall.

Inscriptions and status changes have been made by Engrave Wright from Denver, Colo., since 1986.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that built 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 through programs, ceremonies and education materials. To learn more about VVMF, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.

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