The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has always been more than polished granite. For decades, it’s been a meeting point for grief, remembrance, and the memories of camaraderie that can only come with military service.
Related: It’s never too late to honor America’s Vietnam veterans
“The Wall,” as it’s been known since its completion in 1982, is a part of the official Vietnam War Memorial, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The full memorial itself includes the famous statue of “Three Soldiers” (added in 1984) and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial (added in 1993).
The Wall bears the names of 58,318 service members who died in the Vietnam War or remain missing as a result of it. Visitors often track down a loved one’s name and press paper against the stone to make a rubbing, turning a carved line into something they can carry home.
But not everyone can make the trip. The Vietnam War era of America’s veterans is getting older, and getting to “The Wall” is increasingly difficult for vets and their families.
For those who can’t get to Washington, however, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund—the nonprofit that helped build the memorial—offers to have volunteers create rubbings of the names. That service paused briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when volunteers weren’t available, and travel, crowds, and close contact posed real risks, but it’s been back for a while now. By September of that same year, VVMF volunteers had fulfilled hundreds of requests.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War, and free rubbing requests are a powerful way to continue that mission.
The Department of Defense’s Vietnam War Commemoration (along with the VA) defines Vietnam War-era service as active duty between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975. That means even the youngest of Vietnam veterans are now in their late 60s, and many live with chronic health problems, including cancers and respiratory illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure. For them and their families, visiting the Wall in person isn’t always possible.
Anyone looking for a thoughtful gift for the Vietnam veteran or family member in their life, especially one who never quite made the trek to the memorial, then this is the perfect opportunity to bring them something truly unique.
To submit a request, you’ll need the service member’s first, middle, and last name as it appears on the Wall, plus the panel number and whether the name is on the east or west side, if you have it. The row number helps, too. There’s no charge, but patience is part of the deal. Requests can take up to 90 days to fulfill.
Finding that information can be difficult; many veterans are hesitant or simply choose not to talk about their wartime service or the friends they lost in Vietnam. Finding a name on the memorial can also take time because the Wall isn’t organized alphabetically. Names are listed by date of death, with alphabetical order used only for those who died or went missing on the same day.
Search tools can help locate a name and its panel details. On VirtualWall.org, for example, readers will find a searchable database that includes all the necessary information to get a rubbing. The VVMF also has a Vietnam Memorial app in the Apple App Store.
To request a rubbing, submit the form on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s website.
