The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington celebrates its 30th Anniversary this month. When you take a Washington, D.C., timeshare vacation and stop at this war memorial you will be joining 4.5 million people who visit the Memorial annually.
Every year in honor of Veteran’s day, The Reading of the Names takes place for 65 hours over a four-day period. This year the opening ceremony was on Wednesday, November 7, with the additional recognition of the Memorial’s 30th anniversary.
Interesting Facts about “the Wall” –
– The idea for a memorial to those who fought and died in the Vietnam War came to veteran Jan Scruggs in 1979 when he suffered from flashbacks after watching the movie “The Deer Hunter.”
– A total of $15 million was raised with help from a direct marketing campaign led by Stephen A. Cone, now executive vice president of AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).
– There are 53,282 names on the Wall.
– Only eight women are listed on the Wall. About 10,000 served as nurses in Vietnam.
– Critics found the black granite design by 21-year old Yale University student Maya Lin too abstract.
– Today the Wall draws 4.5 million visitors annually, and is one of the Capital’s most popular sites.
Watch this video tribute celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington where each year millions of visitors share stories about loved ones and friends they lost in that war.
November, 2012, also marks the ground breaking ceremony for an $83 million 35,000 square-foot Education Center at the Wall that will bring these stories to life.
Using state-of-the-art digital technology, the Education Center “will connect future generations to the lasting impact, the profound insights, and the individual heroes of the Vietnam War.”
Stay in a Wyndham Old Town Alexandria timeshare rental or a Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor timeshare rental during your visit to Washington, D.C.
Photo Credit: xshadesofbluex.deviantart.com