‘Four Decades Later, This Memorial Continues to Heal Our Country’

Army & Air Force Exchange Service Director/CEO Tom Shull, a driving force behind gaining approvals for the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, gathered with dignitaries this past Saturday to mark the 40^th anniversary of the memorial’s groundbreaking on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, a driving force behind gaining approvals for the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., spoke at a ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of the memorial’s groundbreaking. “This memorial restores pride for all who serve, especially Vietnam Veterans, and, to paraphrase President Lincoln, to all who gave their last full measure of devotion,” Shull said.

Shull, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) Founder Jan Scruggs, National Security Advisor to President Reagan Robert C. McFarlane, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and “A Rift in the Earth” author James Reston Jr. spoke at the ceremony and laid a wreath at the Memorial Wall.

“Forty years ago today, ground was broken here…and our Nation began to heal,” Shull said.

In 1982, as an Army captain, Shull represented the White House to facilitate the construction and dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, securing the approvals needed to clear the way for the groundbreaking on March 26, 1982.

“Our country was divided,” Shull told the crowd gathered just feet from black granite memorial, designed by artist Maya Lin and engraved with the names of more than 58,000 fallen heroes. “The idea of a memorial was highly controversial…and we had 60 days to gain the needed approvals.”

A compromise was reached on adding a flagpole and a statue as part of the memorial—neither took away from the simplicity and integrity of Lin’s work, Shull said.

As Shull worked with Scruggs and his partner, VVMF Chairman Jack Wheeler, National Capital Planning Commission and Fine Arts Commission approvals were quickly secured. With just days to spare on the 60-day deadline, Shull worked with contacts at the lone holdout, the Department of Interior, to gain the final approval needed to break ground the following Monday.

“This memorial restores pride for all who serve, especially Vietnam Veterans, and, to paraphrase President Lincoln, to all who gave their last full measure of devotion,” Shull said. “Our fallen are forever with us at this sacred place. Four decades later, this memorial continues to heal our country.”

During the ceremony, Scruggs honored McFarlane, who served two combat tours in Vietnam.

“Freedom. Freedom. Freedom—that’s what we are about in this country,” McFarlane said. “I used to talk to my Marines about freedom. It’s not an intangible idea. It’s something that we cherish because we’ve seen people who aren’t free. … Everyone here who’s been in uniform knows that. And they’d do it again.”

Hagel thanked Shull and Scruggs for their work to help heal the Nation.

“For you, Jan, we give thanks and appreciate you for what you’ve done,” Hagel said. “Forty years ago, we stood not too far from here with shovels and broke ground for this memorial with the help of Tom and other people Jan has noted.”

The memorial, Hagel said, remains a place of reflection for the millions who visit each year.

“The memorial forces us to review the world we are in now, which was shaped and molded by Veterans, especially the Veterans whose names are on this wall,” he said.

The anniversary, Scruggs said, deserves celebration.

“The wall created many wonderful things,” he said. “It created a memorial that brought people together. … This is a day to celebrate. The stakes were high, and we did everything we needed to do.”