Who determines how names are added to The Wall?
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund receives numerous requests each year from individuals who desire to have particular names placed on the Memorial. And while the Memorial Fund finances the addition of names to The Wall, we do not determine whose names are to be inscribed. It is the Department of Defense which makes these difficult and often very technical decisions. Our organization does not have the authority to overrule those who adjudicate these matters. The policy is that only those persons who died of a combat injury suffered in Vietnam be added to the Memorial. If you need further explanation of the parameters for inclusion, please contact the relevant service branch. Please know that the Memorial stands to honor all who served in Vietnam, not just those whose individual names it bears.
