Armchair General received the following information from Michael J. Nardotti, Jr., Major General, U.S. Army, Retired. We have made minor changes to the original email.
I come to you on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund which has undertaken the challenge of building "The Education Center at the Wall."
The Education Center at the Wall will be an underground facility in close proximity to the Wall. It will be a state-of-the-art learning facility which, through the use of advanced digital technology, will tell the stories of those who fought and died in the War. A primary goal will be to make available as much information and memorabilia, including pictures, of every person whose name appears on the Wall. Since the information storage capacity of The Center will be enormous, the VVMF also will include information about men and women from other wars, including those who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. The VVMF has raised about half of the $85M needed, including contributions or commitments from the Australian and Korean Governments.
The VVMF Annual Gala to raise funds for this project will take place on Thursday, November 8th.
The event also honors Vietnam veterans who have distinguished themselves in various pursuits. One of this year’s honorees will be His Eminence Cardinal Edwin O’Brien – the same Father Ed O’Brien who spent four years with us at West Point. After his tenure at Holy Trinity Chapel, Father O’Brien volunteered for the Army Chaplaincy, went to Airborne School, and served in Vietnam with 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 1st Cavalry Division. He later served as the Archbishop for the Military Services for ten years.
Click here to download a pdf with more information about the 2012 Build the Center Benefit. Tickets for the event are $500 per person—HOWEVER, anyone who would like to see the The Education Center at the Wall become a reality can make donations, in any amount, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Click for a donation form.
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