News Release: Marathon Oil Gives $500,000 to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center

26 February 2008

Marathon Oil Corporation has pledged half a million dollars to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an educational facility being built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The donation puts the Memorial Fund at over $16 million in pledges for the Center, which is estimated to cost between $75 million and $100 million, and is another indication of the growing support this project has from the oil and gas industries. Last year, ConocoPhillips pledged $2 million for the Center.

“Marathon has an unwavering commitment to supporting education around the world,” said Scruggs. “We are pleased to make them our partner in the Memorial Center, which will teach visitors, especially students, about the values of America’s service members, in Vietnam and in all wars. Visitors will also learn about the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.”

“We must never forget that the freedoms we often take for granted have been won and preserved in large part by the selfless acts of the brave men and women of our armed services,” said Clarence P. Cazalot Jr., Marathon president and CEO. “Marathon is proud to support the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center project, and we hope that it will serve to enlighten and inform visitors about the people whose service and sacrifices have made America a beacon of freedom around the world.”

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center is being designed to enhance the Memorial experience for visitors by giving context to the names on The Wall. It will be a place to honor those who died and all who served, where the names on The Wall become visible and where the warrior is regarded separately from the war. It will be inspirational, educational and uplifting, a place for healing and reflection.

The architectural design concept for the Center has been approved by the Commission of Fine Arts, and is in the approval process with the National Capital Planning Commission. These two commissions must approve all new building on the National Mall. While the design approval, fundraising and building schedule for the Memorial Center is approximate right now, groundbreaking is expected in 2010, with the Center being completed within 18 months after that.

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. For more information, go to www.vvmf.org.

Operating across the globe, Marathon Oil is among the world’s leading integrated energy companies – applying innovative technologies to discover and develop valuable energy resources, providing high-quality products to the marketplace and delivering value to all of the company’s stakeholders. Marathon has a strong foundation that supports the company’s goals of being a responsible corporate citizen. For more information, visit www.marathon.com.

Copyright © VietnamGear.com. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for internal use within VietnamGear.com. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable