News Release: DAV Steps Up Support of The Wall That Heals

24 March 2006

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) has doubled its support for The Wall That Heals, bringing its total donation for 2006 to $100,000, announced Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which operates the mobile exhibit.

The Wall That Heals is a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This traveling exhibit enables many thousands of Americans to have the educational, emotional and healing experience of The Wall in their own communities.

A national sponsor of The Wall That Heals since 2001, the DAV Charitable Service Trust has, in years past, contributed $50,000 a year to help defray the many expenses involved in operating this traveling exhibit. However, normal wear and tear has made it necessary to replace the replica. So, for 2006, DAV has doubled its contribution, donating an extra $50,000 to help pay for construction of the new traveling wall.

“We feel it is vital for the citizens of this country to remember the sacrifice and service given by the members of the armed forces during the Vietnam War,” said Paul W. Jackson, DAV National Commander. “The brave men and women the DAV represents have served our country and protected our freedoms with honor and pride. It is in their names that we give this donation toward a visible symbol of pride in our nation's servicemen and women.”

The Wall That Heals is scheduled to visit 20 locations throughout the United States in 2006. At each stop, the Memorial Fund will ensure that the DAV logo is displayed prominently and proudly.

“The Disabled American Veterans organization is not just a national sponsor of The Wall That Heals, it is also a long-standing friend to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,” said Scruggs. “We are grateful to DAV for all the support it has provided and continues to provide to help the Memorial Fund educate the American people about the Vietnam War and continue the healing process that needs to take place.”

The Wall That Heals also features a Traveling Museum and Information Center, providing a comprehensive educational component to enrich and complete visitors' experiences. The Museum chronicles the Vietnam War era and the unique healing power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, while the Information Center serves as a venue for people to learn about friends and loved ones lost in the war.

The new Wall That Heals will be unveiled on the Lenior-Rhyne College campus in Hickory, N.C., on April 6-9. For a complete 2006 tour schedule, click here.

The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation's disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation's disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization's Web site: http://www.dav.org/

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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