For Immediate Release
July 17, 2007

Contact: Lisa Gough
 (202) 393-0090 , ext. 109

Memorial Fund Honors Vietnam Veterans Serving in Congress
July 19 Event Is Part of Teach Vietnam Teachers Network National Conference

Washington, D.C.—Five senators and 13 representatives—all Vietnam veterans currently serving in Congress—will be honored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at a breakfast on July 19 in Room 902 of the Hart Senate Office Building during the group’s National Teach Vietnam Teachers Network Conference, said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Memorial Fund.

“As we commemorate 25 years of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, we thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to those members of Congress who bravely served their country during America’s most divisive war,” Scruggs said. “When we built The Wall, we vowed never to forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Let us also remember those who have gone on to become leaders in our country.”

The Salute to Vietnam Veterans in Congress is being sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute. Vietnam veterans being honored at the breakfast include:

Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.)
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.)

Rep. Leonard L. Boswell (D-Iowa)
Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.)
Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Md.)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.)
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas)
Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.)
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.)
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas)
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)

The Salute to Vietnam Veterans in Congress is part of the Memorial Fund’s annual Teach Vietnam Teachers Network National Conference, which is taking place at American University from July 18-22. During the conference, 33 educators from schools from around the country will meet to learn creative new ways to teach the lessons of the Vietnam era, hear from experts on the subject and work on group projects. The conference will culminate in a Saturday trip to The Wall, where Network members will pay tribute to some of the 58,256 men and women whose names are inscribed there.

The Teach Vietnam Teachers Network is a nationwide network of educators at all grade levels who are dedicated to teaching students about the Vietnam War era and building awareness of the Memorial Fund’s educational initiatives. Members of the Network represent the Memorial Fund in their school districts and communities, helping to educate other teachers and communities about the war’s legacy and how it continues to impact our nation today.

For more information on the Teach Vietnam Teachers Network, click here.

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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