Newsletter - December 2011

 

Message From the President

 

Dear Friends,

The vast collection of items left at The Wall includes a black lacquer display box containing medals, a picture of a young man, and a nameplate of etched glass.  The beautiful handmade box was offered at Christmas as a tribute to a friend, a son, and a fallen hero.
 
Like every name on The Wall and each memento left behind, this gift represents a profound and meaningful story, worthy of sharing during the Holiday Season.

 

In August of 1967, when he was 20 years old, Robert William Cupp of Alexandria, Virginia was drafted into the Army.  After basic training and advanced infantry school, Bob was ordered to report to Fort Lewis, Washington to prepare for deployment to Vietnam.  The following remembrance comes from Bob's mother:

  

   “The Christmastime knock on our door was a wonderful surprise, and the greatest Christmas present I could have asked for. My son was home and my family was together. I could never bring myself to imagine that this would be the last time.
 
   After the Holidays, we took Bob to Dulles airport for his flight to Fort Lewis. From there, he was shipped into battle in Vietnam.
 
   In early June of 1968, there was another unexpected knock at our door. There is no other feeling like opening your door to a knock from a Military chaplain; you know it is bad news. It was then that we learned that Bob had been killed instantly on June 6, 1968 when he stepped on a land mine. We held his funeral on what would've been his 21st birthday.
 
- Mrs. Emogene M. Cupp”
 

Bob was so much more than a name on our beloved Wall.  Thanks to the contents of the lacquer box and the remembrance of a grieving mother, we know a lot about this American hero. It's clear that he was loved by his family.

Because we have his picture, we know what he looked like and we're able to connect with the person he was.
 
At this time of year, it is fitting for all of us at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to take time to appreciate our supporters.  Thanks to our sustained grassroots "Call for Photos" effort, we have collected more than 23,000 photos.
 
We will break ground on The Education Center at the Wall  next year, and we need more great Americans to join with us.  Learn more and get involved by visiting http://buildthecenter.org today.
 

Season’s greetings,
 

Jan C. Scruggs
Founder and President

 

 

 

VVMF Staff Lends Effort to Operation Gratitude

 

On December 1, VVMF staff was proud to join in the cause of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends over 100,000 care packages annually, filled with food, hygiene products, and entertainment items to service-members in hostile regions around the world.  

VVMF staff sorted nearly fifty packages filled with snacks and personal care products to be sent overseas to soldiers who will be away from their families this holiday season.  

VVMF is proud to join Operation Gratitude in supporting the morale and appreciation of our service men and women, who sacrifice everything in the name of freedom and justice.

 

VVMF Staff participate in Operation Gratitude, an Organization that sends care packages to soldiers overseas.

 

VVMF To Usher New PSAs In December

Starting in December, VVMF will be releasing new Public Service Announcements to television audiences around the country.  These exciting and powerful PSAs include messages from actors Gary Sinise and Tom Selleck, Band of Brothers star Captain Dale Dye, and former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell.  

The messages will urge the support of audiences to get involved in VVMF’s ongoing efforts to construct the Education Center at the Wall and promote the legacies and stories of our military heroes.

The PSAs will begin airing in late December, showcasing emotionally-powerful and evocative statements from some of America’s most respected public and entertainment figures.  Look for them on a station near you.

To view these PSAs now, click here.

 

 

General Barry McCaffrey Promotes Effort to Build Education Center at The Wall

On December 6, General Barry McCaffrey, USA (Ret.) visited VVMF offices to offer his support in the campaign to construct the Education Center at The Wall by Veteran’s Day, 2012, the 30th Anniversary of the Wall.


VVMF thanks General McCaffrey, and looks forward to his partnership as the effort to construct the Education Center pushes on.

General Barry McCaffrey, USA (Ret.)

 

Preparing for 2012: VVMF and Other Veterans Service Organizations Solidify Partnerships

On December 8, VVMF and a team of Veterans Service Organizations discussed partnerships in commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Rolling Thunder, the 30th Anniversary of The Wall, and the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War in 2012.

In attendance were Ted Schpeck, President of Rolling Thunder; Bob Wallace, Executive Director of Veterans of Foreign Wars; Barry Jesinoski, Executive Director of Disabled American Veterans; and former Congressman Chet Edwards of Texas.

VVMF Staff meet with Directors of the VFW, Rolling Thunder, DAV, American Legion, and former Congressman Chet Edwards.


As both Memorial and Veteran’s Day 2012 approach, these partnerships allow for the recognition and appreciation of both veterans and the organizations who work on their behalf.  Commemorating these events allows for the continued healing of a generation that sacrificed friends, family, and lives for the freedoms we hold dearest.

 

 

National Call for Photos Continues to Succeed

VVMF’s National Call for Photos – the campaign to collect photographs of the more than 58,000 men and women inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – continues to gather support around the country.  Veterans, concerned citizens, volunteers, and families have all helped in their undying efforts to remember the men and women who fought and died bravely in the defense of our freedom.

As of December 2011, VVMF has collected more than 23,000 photographs of fallen soldiers.  These photographs will be displayed at the Education Center at The Wall for generations to come, honoring the legacy of service that these men and women embodied.

VVMF thanks its volunteers and National Call for Photos participants for their outstanding contributions, as we look forward to gathering the remaining 35,000 photos needed to properly remember those who were lost in Vietnam.  
 

 

VVMF to Honor Active Service-Members and Veterans at Christmas Tree Observance

 

Each year, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) recognizes veterans and active-duty military personnel by decorating a Christmas tree at The Wall with hand-made cards and ornaments made by schoolchildren from across the country. 

At the base of the tree, we leave holiday greeting cards sent to us by Americans of all ages.

VVMF invites you to join this year’s Christmas Tree at The Wall ceremony.

It will be held on Monday, December 19 at 10:00 a.m. on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.

If you have any questions, please contact JoAnn Waller at 202.393.0090 ext.106 or by email at jwaller@vvmf.org.

 

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    The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund takes our stewardship of your donations seriously. The programs we fund are designed to help us achieve our mission of preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.