For Immediate Release May 2, 2008

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

FOUR NAMES TO BE ADDED TO THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL;
FORMER VA SECRETARY JIM NICHOLSON TO SPEAK
Press Event to be held Wednesday, May 7, at 9 a.m. (Rain Date May 8)

Washington, D.C.—The names of four American servicemen will be inscribed on the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial next week, announced Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James “Jim” Nicholson will speak at the press event, scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7. He will be joined by JC Cummings, AIA, the architect of record for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and expert stoneworker James Lee of Colorado-based Engrave Write, who will be adding the names.

Work will begin on Tuesday, May 6 and continue through Thursday, May 8. A variety of factors, including the weather and where the sun is hitting The Wall, determine when each of the changes or additions is made. When names are added, the highly technical procedure requires meticulous work to match the stroke and depth of the surrounding names to within one-thousandth of an inch.

The May 7 press event will focus on the addition of one name: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason. Priscilla Mason of Riverside, R.I., will be on hand to witness the addition of her husband’s name to Panel 41E, Line 64 of the Memorial.

The four names being added this year meet the Department of Defense (DOD) criteria for addition to The Wall: all of the men died as a result of wounds sustained in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.

Names Being Added to The Wall
Lance Cpl. Richard M. Goossens, U.S. Marine Corps
Racine, Wis.
Dec. 11, 1948 – Sept. 24, 2004
Date of Casualty: May 12, 1968
Wall Location: Panel 68E, Line 4
According to the Department of Defense, Lance Cpl. Richard M. Goossens received multiple gunshot wounds while on a combat mission in South Vietnam on May 12, 1968.  His death on Sept. 24, 2004 was related to wounds received in South Vietnam.

Spc. Fourth Class Dennis O. Hargrove, U.S. Army
Burns, Tenn.
Jan. 23, 1948 – Sept. 24, 1987
Date of Casualty: May 10, 1969
Wall Location: Panel 12W, Line 114
DOD reports that Army Specialist Fourth Class Dennis O. Hargrove received multiple gunshot wounds while on a combat mission in South Vietnam on May 10, 1969.  His death on Sept. 24, 1987 was related to wounds received in South Vietnam.

Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason, U.S. Marine Corps
Bristol, R.I.
March 7, 1947 – May 28, 2006
Date of Casualty: Feb. 28, 1968
Wall Location: Panel 41E, Line 64
Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason received multiple gunshot wounds while on a combat mission in South Vietnam on February 28, 1968, according to DOD records.  He died on May 28, 2006, as result of medical complications related to the wounding in South Vietnam.

Spc. Fourth Class Darrell J. Naylor, U.S. Army
Balko Beaver, Okla.
Oct. 24, 1944 – January 5, 2006
Date of Casualty: April 14, 1967
Wall Location: Panel 18E, Line 53
Spc. Fourth Class Darrell J. Naylor sustained multiple fragmentation wounds while on a combat mission in South Vietnam on April 14, 1967.  He died on Jan. 5, 2006, as a result of medical complications related to the wounding in South Vietnam.

“We will add the names as close as possible to their dates of casualty, so these servicemen can remain in the company of those they served with,” said Scruggs.

Status Changes
Beside each name on the Memorial is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes confirmed death. The cross represents missing in action. When a service member’s remains are returned or accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. In addition to the four names being added this year, 14 designation changes will be made as well (view more info):

• James Henry Ayres
• Ernest Frank Briggs Jr.
• Douglas Craig Condit
• Richard William Fischer
• Dennis Clark Hamilton
• Perry Henry Jefferson
• Michael John Masterson
• Maurice Henry Moore
• Warren Robert Orr Jr.
• Alton Craig Rockett Jr.
• Stephen Arthur Rusch
• Sheldon D. Schultz
• Charles Wayne Stratton
• James D. Williamson   

The Speakers
Jim Nicholson served as secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2005-2007. Before that, he served as U.S Ambassador to the Holy See. Nicholson is a 1961 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served eight years on active duty as a paratrooper and Ranger-qualified Army officer, then 22 years in the Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel. While serving in Vietnam, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry and two Air Medals.

James Lee has performed the name additions for many years through his former company, Great Panes Glassworks. Now with Engrave Write, he will continue making the inscriptions for The Wall. Before adding Mason’s name, Lee will explain some of the technical aspects of the work.

JC Cummings, AIA, is the architect of record for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He worked for the Cooper Lecky architectural firm that helped build The Wall back in 1982.

Adding Names
Next week’s changes will bring the total number of names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to 58,260 men and women who were killed or remain missing in action.

The four new names will become “official” when they are read aloud during the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at The Wall on Monday, May 26, at 1:00 p.m.

The Department of Defense sets the criteria for and makes decisions about whose names are eligible for inscription on The Wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund pays for the name additions and status changes, and works with the National Park Service to ensure long-term preservation and maintenance of The Wall.

Dedicated on Nov. 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to honor all who served with the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. It has become known as an international symbol of healing and is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall.

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.  Since then, the Memorial Fund has evolved into an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. Its initiatives include educational programs for students and educators, a traveling Wall replica that honors our nation’s veterans and a humanitarian and mine-action program in Vietnam. The Memorial Fund is also building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an underground educational facility, near The Wall.

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Media Note: Click here for information about covering events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.