05/20/2024

Memorial Day ceremony at The Wall to honor America’s service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, May 27 at 1 p.m., the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and the National Park Service (NPS) will host the annual Memorial Day Observance at The Wall, during which changes to The Wall will be commemorated and all members of America’s armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice will be honored. Four service members were repatriated in 2023 and those service members will be officially welcomed home at the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

Keynote remarks will be provided by Frederick W. Smith, Founder and Executive Chairman of FedEx Corporation and Vietnam veteran. Other featured speakers include: Major General Donna Barbisch, USA (Ret.), Vietnam veteran and LCDR Michael Petersen, USN (Ret.), Vietnam veteran.

Each spring, VVMF works with the Department of Defense to make sure The Wall is accurate. Names are added for those service members who have met the Department of Defense criteria for addition to The Wall, having sustained wounds in Vietnam from which they eventually perished. No new names were added to The Wall this year.

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 a service member was missing or prisoner status when The Wall was built in 1982 and remain unaccounted for today. When a service member is repatriated, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. In 2023, four service members were repatriated and those service members will be officially welcomed home at the ceremony.

These four service members were repatriated in 2023:

• Ralph J Chipman; CAPT; USMC; Panel West 1, Line 106

• Ernest L De Soto; COL; USAF; Panel West 27, Line 62

• Ronald W Forrester; CAPT; USMC; Panel West 1, Line 106

• Fredrick M Hall; CAPT; USAF; Panel West 27, Line 63

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

To request seating for the 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony at The Wall in Washington, D.C., go here: https://www.vvmf.org/2024-Memorial-Day/ The ceremony can be viewed live online at www.vvmf.org/live and on VVMF’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/VietnamVeteransMemorialFund

About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that founded 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. To learn more about VVMF, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090

# # #