We continue to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families. We work to honor, preserve, and educate to ensure that current and future generations never forget the service and sacrifice of those who came before them. We’ll tell you how WE honor Vietnam veterans and ways you can get involved and we want to hear the ways YOU honor Vietnam veterans in your community.
Ways VVMF works to honor all who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam Era:
- Those we lost during the War: The virtual Wall of Faces features a page dedicated to honoring and remembering every person whose name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
- Those we lost after the War: The In Memory program honors Vietnam veterans have died each year due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD/suicide, cancer and other causes related to their service. More than 5,100 veterans have been added to the In Memory Honor Roll since the program began.
- Living Vietnam veterans and ALL Vietnam Era veterans: The VVMF Registry gives a place for living Vietnam veterans and Era veterans, as well as Vietnam Era veterans who have since passed, to have their service forever remembered and their stories told.
The virtual Wall of Faces features a page dedicated to honoring and remembering every person whose name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. In an effort to further preserve the legacy of those who sacrificed all in Vietnam, VVMF is committed to finding a photo to go with each of the more than 58,000 names on The Wall. The Wall of Faces allows family and friends to share memories, post pictures and connect with each other.
THE WALL OF FACES
Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service. VVMF believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. Through VVMF’s In Memory program, these veterans enables the who came home and later died are forever memorialized in the In Memory Honor Roll.
On Veterans Day 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) unveiled a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial’s healing legacy to millions.
Bringing The Wall home to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin.
The main components of The Wall That Heals are The Wall replica and the mobile Education Center.
The Wall That Heals exhibit was on the road for more than 13,000 miles and visited 26 communities from coast to coast during its 2021 season. We were escorted by more than 3,000 vehicles into those communities, and we were able to spread The Wall’s healing legacy to nearly 200,000 visitors. Guided tours of the exhibit were provided to more than 12,000 students.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WALL THAT HEALS
Some left Vietnam but Vietnam didn’t leave them. Nearly 3 million service members served in Vietnam and most returned home. But since then, thousands of Vietnam veterans have battled PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – and it has impacted their lives and the lives of their families in many ways. Returning without a proper homecoming compounded the issues veterans faced upon their return.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PTSD AWARENESS DAY
The Vietnam War may be over, but the battle continues for many Vietnam veterans. Nearly 3 million service members served in Vietnam and most returned home. But since then, thousands of Vietnam veterans have fought illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure. This deadly toxin has impacted the lives of thousands of veterans and their families but is largely unknown to most Americans.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS DAY
To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, VVMF will pay tribute to all of the names engraved on The Wall with two special recognitions.
Daily Virtual Name Readings – Beginning November 7, 2021 VVMF will be running a daily virtual name reading to honor the individuals on The Wall whose casualty date falls on that date. These daily readings will run on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, and our website vvmf.org/rotn beginning November 7th, 2021 and will run until November 6, 2022.
The Reading of the Names – For the 7th time in our history, VVMF will host an in-person event where every single name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is read in order of which it appears on The Wall. As part of the 40th anniversary commemoration the in-person Reading of the Names ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and begins on November 7, 2022 at 3 p.m. EST. Thousands of volunteers will come to DC to take part in this special event that will end at midnight on November 10, 2022.
READING OF THE NAMES
The VVMF Registry gives a place for living Vietnam veterans and Era veterans, as well as Vietnam Era veterans who have since passed, to have their service forever remembered and their stories told. The Registry allows veterans or their family members to:
- Preserve their legacy
- Upload and share stories and images
- Connect with others who served during the Vietnam Era
- Connect with those whose names are on The Wall and in the In Memory program
Visit the VVMF Registry at registry.vvmf.org/.
Central to VVMF’s mission is honoring the legacy of service of our Vietnam veterans. Help support our work by making a gift today.