Purpose Of The Education Center

Truth and understanding

For many, the Vietnam War is from the distant past. Some 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.

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 truths 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.

The Education Center at The Wall will speak for those who cannot, honoring the legacy of the courageous men and women who have served and continue to serve in America’s armed forces with:

• Displays related to the history of the Vietnam Memorial
• A Wall of Faces showing pictures of the service members whose names are on The Wall
• Some of the more than 100,000 personal items placed at The Wall in tribute over the years
• A timeline of the Vietnam War
• A sequence of images of those who served throughout America’s history, and still today.

The Last Full Measure Of Devotion

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands in silent, solemn tribute. Inscribed on the 140 black granite panels are the names of 58,253 men and 8 women who gave their lives or remain missing to this day. Their names are inscribed in the order they left us. Yet the Memorial itself is dedicated to honoring all who answered the call to serve during the Vietnam War, the longest in U.S. history.

"...listen closely to the voices of the living and the dead...they each have a story to tell."