What is the Education Center at The Wall?

The Education Center is an intiative of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) to build a visitor center adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (commonly refferred to as "The Wall") on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund  is the organization that raised the funding and built The Wall in 1982.  This effort is being led by the founder and president of VVMF, Jan C. Scruggs, who conceived the idea of building a memorial dedicated to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Vietnam.  WATCH THE VIDEO>>

Where will the Education Center be located?

The Education Center will located on an empty section of land situated across the street from The Wall and the Lincoln Memorial Circle.  VIEW A MAP OF THE SITE>>

What is the purpose of the Education Center?

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial holds the names of the more than 58,000 brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our great country during the Vietnam War.  It was a memorial, built by the American people, not to memorialize the war but to ensure that names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice would never be lost to history.

For many, the Vietnam War is from the distant past. Nearly 40 percent of the 4 million people who visit The Wall today are too young to remember. To them the long list of names cut in the smooth black granite are faceless; they have no context, no connection.   These children can understand that here is person who lost their life but without the proper resources, often their knowledge is limited to the accounts that sell books, or flashy sensationalism of Hollywood.

By telling the stories behind every name, the Education Center will help visitors understand the courage, sacrifice and devotion of those who fell, those who returned, and those who waited. While learning about the Vietnam War, visitors will also discover how the Memorial shaped the ways Americans mourn, and the vital part The Wall played in helping to heal the bitter divisions that tore at the nation’s heart and soul.

Through interactive exhibits and primary source materials, visitors will be able to better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had on their family members, their home towns, their communities and the nation.  Visitors will understand the importance of The Wall and the role it continues to play in healing the deep physical, emotional and societal wounds left by the war.  WATCH THE VIDEO>>