Because of you, VVMF can carry out its mission to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era.

A few highlights of what we accomplished in 2025 because of YOU:

Because of you, VVMF can carry out its mission to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era.

A few highlights of what we accomplished in 2025 because of YOU:

• Hosted more than five million visitors at The Wall in Washington, D.C., including many veteran and student groups met by VVMF staff for tours and help with name rubbings.
• Recognized the repatriation of four service members on The Wall who were accounted for in 2024 and changed statuses on The Wall and The Wall That Heals accordingly. Repatriations were recognized at our annual Memorial Day Ceremony.
• Marked the 50^th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War at our Memorial Day Ceremony with 26^th Secretary of Defense and Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel and General Barry McCaffrey as our keynote speakers. The event also included France Hoang, who was evacuated with his family from Saigon in the last weeks of the war to talk about the experiences, impact and meaning of the American efforts on the Vietnamese immigrant community.
• At The Wall, we sealed known cracks in the granite for more than half of all panels of The Wall. We replaced a granite walkway paver that became damaged and prepared additional stock for future maintenance.
• At The Wall, planted more than 100 new trees and shrubs in Phase I of a reforestation project to return the Memorial site to its original 1982 “park within a park” state.
• Replaced dozens of bushes around the Three Servicemen Statue and cared for the planting bed throughout the year.
• Cleaned and completed conservation efforts for the Three Servicemen Statue, Vietnam Women’s Memorial and In Memory Plaque several times throughout the year.
• Created a new Facebook community – Connecting Families & Friends of those on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – as a place to honor and remember the service members who are listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Having a group allows members to connect and engage with each other so it’s way to bring together our “Wall families” to share their stories and talk about the common experiences of those who lost a loved one in the Vietnam War.
• Announced a new initiative – Service Beyond Service Awards recognizing living veterans who continued to serve their communities in different ways after their military service.
• Presented a Lifetime Service Award to Annmarie Emmet.  Annmarie was honored for her 36+ years of service and more than 30,000 hours volunteering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• VVMF’s Wall of Faces – which features at least one photo for each service member whose name is inscribed on The Wall – was viewed 4.7 million times in the last year and those online visitors left more than 23,000 remembrances this year. Nearly 11,000 additional photos were submitted to the Wall of Faces by visitors and volunteers.  Each was reviewed, rated, and posted to the appropriate page as we continue efforts to find the best possible photo for those on The Wall.
• VVMF performed winter maintenance of The Wall That Heals exhibit in early 2025, polishing each of the 140 numbered panels, upgrading and repairing the exhibit and assuring our visitors have the premier experience in communities throughout the country.
• During its 30^th season, The Wall That Heals traveled more than 16,000 miles – hauled by 22 different trucking companies – as it visited 31 communities in 19 states in 2025. More than 3,500 vehicles escorted the exhibit into these communities where we were able to spread The Wall’s healing legacy to more than 232,000 visitors – the highest visitor number since 2019 (pre-Covid). Guided tours of the exhibit were provided to more than 17,000 visitors, nearly half of whom were students. With the 2025 tour complete – The Wall That Heals has now been displayed in 803 communities in 49 states and three countries since it debuted in 1996.
• Amongst the 31 The Wall That Heals events in 2025, VVMF hosted its own The Wall That Heals site in Alexandria, Virginia at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in June 2025 as a location to hold the annual In Memory Ceremony when The Wall was unavailable due to a federal parade in Washington, D.C.
• More than 150 communities expressed a desire to host The Wall That Heals in 2026.  In November, we announced 31 will have the opportunity during our 2026 tour – including a visit to O’ahu in January 2026.
• As part of our 2025 In Memory Ceremony weekend, we inducted 774 new honorees. We had more than 2,000 family members, friends and loved ones in attendance for the induction ceremony. We welcomed more than 300 guests at the In Memory Welcome Dinner.  There are now nearly 8,000 Vietnam veterans honored through the In Memory program.
• Welcomed more than 2,000 new members to our In Memory Facebook community. Now, more than 28,000 family members, friends, and loved ones have a space to connect and share their stories of love and loss for peer-to-peer support.
• Our podcast, Echoes of the Vietnam War, continues to grow its audience at an impressive rate.  Echoes has been listened to nearly 600,000 times since it launched in 2021. We surpassed the 100-episode mark, with listeners in more than 180 countries.
• Laid nearly 3,000 roses at The Wall That Heals in Alexandria, Virginia on Father’s Day to honor the fathers on The Wall, those that never had the chance to become fathers, and those fathers who returned home from serving in Vietnam and later died.
• Held our sixth annual Agent Orange Awareness Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 10^th – the anniversary of the first day that Agent Orange was thought to be sprayed in Vietnam. More than 1,800 orange candles were laid at the Memorial site, bringing awareness and encouraging others to do the same in their local communities.  In addition, there were 21 Agent Orange Awareness events held throughout the country as part of The Wall That Heals exhibit.
• Held our fifth annual PTSD Awareness Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on June 27^th. More than 1,800 teal candles were laid at the Memorial site, bringing awareness and encouraging others to do the same in their local communities. In addition, there were 9 PTSD Awareness events held throughout the country as part of The Wall That Heals exhibit.
• Commemorated National Vietnam War Veterans Day with a wreath laying at The Wall in partnership with the Vietnam Veterans of America on March 29^th.
• VVMF’s education and outreach efforts included presentations to a wide variety of groups and organizations at The Wall and in presentations throughout the United States.
• Completed and shipped nearly 3,000 free name rubbings for those that can’t make it to The Wall.

Thank you for making this all possible. We couldn’t do it without you!