Virginia Govenor Tim Kaine Joins Leadership Team for the Education Center at the Wall

by Lisa Gough

Washington, D.C. – Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has joined a group of prominent Americans, including a fellow governor, who are providing leadership for the creation of the Education Center at The Wall, announced Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

The Center is an educational facility being built underground on the National Mall, near the Vietnam Veterans and Lincoln Memorials. The campaign to build the Center is being led by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

Kaine joins fellow governor Rick Perry of Texas, who joined the leadership team last fall, in organizing state participation in this important project.

“We are very pleased to have Gov. Kaine join our leadership team,” said Scruggs. “We feel it is important that our country’s children learn about the sacrifices young people made during the Vietnam War and in all wars. Gov. Kaine has worked hard to elevate the standards of excellence in education in Virginia, and we look forward to benefitting from his expertise and participation in our educational efforts.”

As part of the leadership team, Gov. Kaine will play a vital role in the grassroots work in Virginia, including assisting the Memorial Fund in gathering photos of the 1,306 service members from Virginia whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Education Center will feature photos for each of the 58,260 individuals whose names are on The Wall.

“It’s our privilege and responsibility to honor the sacrifices made by the courageous men and women of the U.S. armed forces,” said Gov. Kaine. “I’m pleased to play a part in honoring the memory of the many Virginians who gave their lives during the Vietnam War.”

Tim Kaine became the 70th governor of Virginia in 2006. Since then, he has made great strides in improving education in the Commonwealth. He has helped move the focus in the classroom from competence to excellence, putting into law requirements for teacher evaluations, expanding access to pre-kindergarten and dramatically expanding career and technical education offerings. Under his leadership, every region of the Commonwealth has established a four-year college.

During Gov. Kaine’s administration, Virginia has achieved one of the highest median incomes and lowest unemployment rates in the country. He has helped the Commonwealth achieve recognition as the most business-friendly state and the state with the top-performing government in America. He has also made great strides in the provision of health care and mental health care, and has made environmentalism and preservation hallmarks of his governorship.

The Education Center at The Wall is a visitors and education facility being built underground on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Exhibits will include a wall of photographs of those whose names are on The Wall, a selection of the over 100,000 items that have been left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a timeline of key military events in the Vietnam War. A section of the Center will illustrate the legacy of service demonstrated by the American people, showing images of those who served in all of America’s conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq.

The Education Center will be built entirely with private funds, including the lead gift of $10 million from Time Warner.

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, through a series of outreach programs, it is dedicated to preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing, educating about the impact of the Vietnam War and is building The Education Center at The Wall underground near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.