News Release: Three names to be added to the Wall

28 April 2007

The names of three American servicemen will be inscribed on the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial next week, announced Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Work will begin on Tuesday, May 1 and continue through Sunday, May 6. On May 3, a press event will be held as one of the names is added, that of Army Sgt. Richard Monroe Pruett.  Sgt. Pruett’s wife, Ann Pruett of Sherman, Texas, will be on hand to witness the addition of her husband’s name to Panel 21 W, Line 38 of the Memorial.

James Cummings, AIA, the architect of record for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and expert stoneworker James Lee of Colorado-based Engrave Write, will make brief remarks about the newest additions and the inscription process. These additions will bring the number of names on The Wall to 58,256 men and women who were killed or remain missing in action.

Names Being Added to The Wall
Navy Fireman Apprentice Joseph Gerald Krywicki
Holton, Mich.
March 8, 1947 – Sept. 13, 1966
Date of Casualty: Sept. 13, 1966
Wall Location: 15E, Line 26
According to the Department of Defense (DOD), which makes all decisions about name additions to The Wall, Fireman Apprentice Joseph Gerald Krywicki, was killed on Sept. 13, 1966 while serving in South Vietnam, when another member of his unit accidentally discharged his rifle.  His name was inadvertently left off the initial list of those being included on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  This omission is now being corrected.

Army Sgt. Richard Monroe Pruett
San Diego, Calif.
July 22, 1945 – Feb. 28, 2005
Date of Casualty: May 27, 1969
Wall Location: 21W, Line 38
Sgt. Richard M. Pruett received fragmentation wounds while on a combat mission in South Vietnam on May 27, 1969.  He died on February 28, 2005, and DOD deemed that this was as a result of medical complications related to his wounding in South Vietnam.

Army SP4 Wesley Alvin Stiverson
Monticello, Ill.
July 16, 1950 – March 30, 2005
Date of Casualty: April 6, 1971
Wall Location: 7W, Line 73
SP4 Alvin Stiverson sustained fragmentation wounds when his base camp came under attack by a hostile force in South Vietnam on April 6, 1971.  DOD determined that his death on March 30, 2005 was directly attributable to those wounds.

“We will add the names as close as possible to their dates of casualty, so these servicemen can remain in the company of those they served with,” said Scruggs.

The highly technical procedure requires meticulous work to match the stroke and depth of the surrounding names to within one-thousandth of an inch. James Lee has performed the name additions for many years through his former company, Great Panes Glassworks. Now with Engrave Write, he will continue making the inscriptions for The Wall.

Beside each name on the Memorial is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes confirmed death. The cross represents missing in action. When a service member’s remains are returned or accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. In addition to the three names being added this year, 14 designation changes will be made as well.

The three new names will become “official” when they are read aloud during the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at The Wall on Monday, May 28, at 1:00 p.m.

The Department of Defense sets the criteria for and makes decisions about whose names are eligible for inscription on The Wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund pays for the name additions and status changes, and works with the National Park Service to ensure long-term preservation and maintenance of The Wall.

Dedicated on Nov. 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to honor all who served with the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. It has become known as an international symbol of healing and is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Today, through a series of outreach programs, it is dedicated to preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing, educating about the impact of the Vietnam War and is building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an underground educational facility, near The Wall.

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