Sen. John Warner to Lead Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall

Christmas Tree Will Be Decorated with Messages and Ornaments from across the U.S.

THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL Ceremony to be held at The Wall, Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m.

Washington, D.C. – Virginia Sen. John Warner will be the featured speaker at the Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall, being held on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m., said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Following the ceremony, the tree will be decorated with holiday ornaments and messages.

Warner, who was first elected to the Senate in 1978, is retiring at the end of his current term. A veteran of World War II and Korea, Warner was appointed as Undersecretary of the Navy in 1969, later serving as Secretary of the Navy from 1972-74. In the Senate, he has served as chairman and is currently the second-ranking Republican in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Warner’s concern for America’s armed forces has been a hallmark of his public service, and his history as a proponent of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial goes back to its very beginning. Warner and Sen. Charles Mathias of Maryland were the Memorial’s first two supporters and were responsible for getting legislation passed that authorized its construction on the National Mall. Warner also helped the Memorial Fund raise money for construction of The Wall.

“Sen. John Warner has been a friend to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial practically from Day One,” said Scruggs. “I am pleased that, as he concludes his public career, he will be taking part in our annual holiday ceremony at The Wall. All of us who served in Vietnam and fought for the construction of this memorial regard Sen. Warner with respect and affection, and we wish him well in retirement.”

In addition to Warner, Rev. William E. Calbert of Shiloh Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., will offer a blessing. Calbert is a veteran of World War II, Korean and Vietnam. Jan Scruggs will serve as master of ceremonies.

During the annual Christmas Tree at The Wall ceremony, holiday cards sent to the Memorial Fund by Americans of all ages from around the country are used to decorate a Christmas tree that is left at the apex of The Wall. The ceremony will begin at the East Knoll, where some of the holiday cards will be read by volunteers and placed on the tree.

Afterward, the tree is moved to the apex of The Wall. Cards and ornaments made by American schoolchildren are placed on the tree, and boxes of cards are left at its base so that visitors who come to The Wall during the Christmas holidays can read a card and place it on the tree.

Handmade ornaments and greetings have been sent by these schools:

    * Annapolis Elementary School, Annapolis, Md.
    * Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Annapolis, Md.
    * Cape St. Clair Elementary School, Annapolis, Md.
    * Crofton Elementary School, Crofton, Md.
    * Crossroads Academy, Elizabethtown, Ky.
    * Deale Elementary School, Deale, Md.
    * Four Seasons Elementary School, Gambrills, Md.
    * Granite Falls Middle School,  Granite Falls, N.C.
    * Glen Burnie Park Elementary School, Glen Burnie, Md.
    * Harry Hurst Middle School, Destrehan, La.
    * Linthicum Elementary School, Linthicum Heights, Md.
    * Northview Middle School, Hickory, N.C.
    * Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, Md.
    * Old Mill Middle School South, Millersville, Md.
    * Pasadena Elementary School, Pasadena, Md.
    * Ridgeway Elementary School, Severn, Md.
    * Rural Retreat Middle School, Rural Retreat, Va.
    * Scott Memorial Middle School, Wytheville, Va.
    * Shadyside Elementary School, Shadyside, Md.
    * The Tatnall School, Wilmington, Del.
    * Traceys Elementary School, Tracys Landing, Md.
    * Waynesville Middle School, Waynesville, Mo.
    * White Oaks Elementary School, Burke, Va.

The Memorial Fund receives thousands of holiday messages each December to be placed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Individuals from across the nation include personal messages to honor and remember those who served during the Vietnam War, as well as those currently serving overseas. Also, cards were specifically made for the event at a recent luncheon hosted by Swords to Plowshares in San Francisco. The luncheon was held by the veterans service group to benefit homeless veterans. These vets were asked to write cards to their fellow veterans. The event was coordinated by Colleen Corliss, a former Memorial Fund staff member who now works with Swords to Plowshares.

This year’s live Christmas tree was donated by Roland Elliott and his family, from New London, Pa. The Elliotts have donated a live Christmas tree for the ceremony for the past seven years.

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, the Memorial Fund is 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.