VVMF Newsletter: The Wall That Heals to Appear at TicketCity Bowl in Dallas

December 28, 2010 by Jason Cain

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Greetings Facebook Fan and Twitter Followers! Below find important information about the VVMF’s events and programs.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s News

The Wall That Heals Visits the First Annual TicketCity Bowl The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has partnered with the first annual TicketCity Bowl in Dallas, Texas to bring The Wall That Heals to this newest post-season college football contest.  This inaugural college bowl game will be played in the newly renovated Cotton Bowl Stadium on Jan. 1 and feature a matchup between Northwestern University and Texas Tech. Promoters are billing it as the “Biker Bowl,” with much of the advertising and outreach focusing on motorcycle dealerships, owners’ groups and clubs. They quickly learned that there is a high percentage of Vietnam veterans within the biking community, so they reached out to VVMF and asked us to bring The Wall That Heals to the stadium grounds. We will be highlighting some of the newest features of the Traveling Museum, which accompanies The Wall That Heals. New touch screen computers allow visitors to look up their friends and loved ones on The Wall in relative privacy, while upgraded scanners are on site for those who have pictures of service members on The Wall to be uploaded to VVMF’s Virtual Wall. VVMF has also launched its Veterans 365 campaign, with all proceeds going to help fund the Education Center at The Wall. We will have coins, wristbands and T-shirts available that remind supporters to honor veterans every day of the week. In addition, we will also have maps, education materials and resources to help visitors understand the rigors of one of our countries most divisive conflicts. The Wall That Heals will be escorted into Dallas on Dec. 30 by Patriot Guard Riders and other veterans’ organizations. It will be set up on Thursday afternoon, open for viewing on Friday and Saturday, and taken down on Sunday. Volunteers interested in helping with set-up or take-down should e-mail Jason Cain at jcain@vvmf.org.   Full Article Email VVMF

VVMF Brings Christmas Tree to The Wall in Yearly Ceremony Many thanks to the veterans, volunteers, active-duty military,  friends and family who weathered the wind and cold to attend yesterday’s Christmas Tree at The Wall ceremony.  Marine Corps Master Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson spoke movingly of his father – a disabled Vietnam veteran – and how meaningful it was for him, a disabled Iraq veteran, to participate in this special event. A veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, Rev. William E. Calbert gave a blessing and reminded us all of our duty to honor each other and the memories of those who have gone before us. Army Sgt. Daren Taylor beautifully sang “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.” The Military District of Washington’s Armed Forces Color Guard stood proudly while Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear of the U.S. Marine Band sang an inspiring rendition our National Anthem. The ceremony concluded with Master Sgt. John Abbraciamento of the U.S. Marine Band playing “TAPS.” Vietnam Veterans Memorial volunteers Ron Edgington and Red Flegal brought the 8-foot Douglas fir tree from New London, Pa. At the end of the ceremony, all those in attendance and visitors to the Memorial, including a family visiting from Holland, took part in decorating the tree with hand-made ornaments from schoolchildren and Girl Scouts from across the country. Full Article Email VVMF

Application Deadline for In Memory Day Approaching Quickly The deadline for individuals to honor loved ones through VVMF’s In Memory program in 2011 is approaching quickly. Applications must be received by Jan. 31, 2011.  In Memory Day honors those who died as a result of the Vietnam War, but whose deaths do not fit the Department of Defense criteria for inclusion upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Every year, a ceremony is held to pay tribute to these men and women who sacrificed so much for their country. The ceremony is held on the third Monday in April – In Memory Day. During the In Memory Day ceremony, the names of all the honorees are read aloud. At the conclusion of the ceremony, certificates bearing the honorees’ names are placed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The tributes are collected by the National Park Service and stored in their permanent archive. In addition, the honorees are included in the In Memory Honor Roll book to serve as a lasting reminder of their service and sacrifices. If you know of anyone whose death was related to Vietnam War involvement and you would like to see him or her honored in the In Memory program, please complete an In Memory application and return it to VVMF, along with a copy of the death certificate, proof of service in Vietnam, a clean photograph of the honoree and a short biography. Click here to download the In Memory application. Visit the National Personnel Records Center Web site here to obtain proof of service in Vietnam. Full Article Email VVMF

Bring The Wall That Heals to Your Community 2010 was a banner year for The Wall That Heals. Our half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial visited 27 cities and provided the healing power of The Wall to over 250,000 visitors.  One of the things that makes The Wall That Heals unique is that it includes a traveling museum and information center, in addition to The Wall replica. In the information tent, visitors can look up their friends and loved ones on The Wall through VVMF’s Virtual Wall at www.vvmf.org. Patrons can use our interactive touch screen display to look up names on The Wall and view pictures of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. We are asking visitors to bring pictures of service members they know on The Wall to be scanned at the information tent and uploaded to VVMF’s Virtual Wall. These photos will be included in the soon-to-be-built Education Center at The Wall, which will be located across the street from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Wall That Heals traveling museum, built into the truck itself, was designed using the same concepts that will be used in the Education Center exhibits. On display are some of the more than 150,000 items that have been left at The Wall since its dedication in 1982. The Wall of Faces features a small sampling of the thousands of photos that have been collected already, putting a face to the names of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. Finally, there is a timeline of both the Vietnam War and the building of the Memorial. We are now working on our 2011 and 2012 tour schedules to ensure that The Wall That Heals can get to as many communities and help as many veterans and families as possible. If you are interested in hosting The Wall That Heals in your city, click here to learn what it takes to host The Wall in your community, or e-mail Jason Cain at jcain@vvmf.org. We hope to see you next year!   Full Article Email VVMF

Remember VVMF in Your Year-End Giving The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, promote healing and educate about the Vietnam War.  Your generous gifts all year long help VVMF conduct ceremonies at The Wall and pursue a variety of outreach programs, include assisting educators with Vietnam War curriculum and operating The Wall That Heals traveling half-scale replica as it brings the Memorial’s legacy of healing into our nation’s communities. VVMF’s newest project, The Education Center at The Wall, will show the pictures and tell the stories of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, as well as celebrate the values embodied in all of our nation’s service members. Your gifts throughout the year help make these vital programs happen. Please continue to help with a generous year-end contribution. For assistance with year-end donations or stock transfers, call (202) 393-0090. For every donation of $100 or more that is made through our special website, you will receive a limited edition commemoriate coin created by VVMF to raise funds for the Education Center at The Wall. This bronze coin has the image of a service member on the front and the Education Center logo on the back. To get your commemorative coin, click here. Full Article Email VVMF

In the News
Slideshow: Vietnam Veterans Honored with Christmas Tree at Memorial Wall The Examiner.com; Dec. 20, 2010  Vietnam Memorial Christmas AP Images; Dec. 20, 2010 Peace Trees Vietnam and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to Help Get Rid of Explosive Ordnance Northwest Asian Weekly; Dec. 11-17, 2010 Traveling Vietnam Wall Replica to Stop in Myrtle Beach Next Year TheSunNews.com; Dec. 9, 2010 The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) giving season ends in December. You still have time to help VVMF and our many programs with your donation. VVMF’s CFC number is 11070.
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