Ray Thompson came home from Vietnam in 1969 badly wounded, having lost four ribs, a kidney and his spleen. It wouldn't have been in his nature, said widow Patty Thompson, to grapple with the federal government just to see his name etched into the black granite of the memorial wall. But it's most certainly in hers.
From misspellings on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to a wrong quotation on the Edgar Allan Poe Memorial, here’s a look at some of the most famous miscues tied to monuments and statues across the United States.
A House committee approved a bill on Wednesday to establish a World War I memorial in the District — a plan that has faced controversy despite its noble goal of honoring those who served in the Great War.
Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta joined an effort Wednesday to build an education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to tell the stories of generations of veterans killed in combat, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Jill Biden and military families will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday for a new education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
!["The whole point of the education center [at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall] is this is a place to educate young people, visitors to Washington, on the principles of duty, courage and honor," foundation leader Jan Scruggs says. (VVME AND RALPH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATES)](http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2012/07/21/vietnam-wall-center_mugshot_four_by_three_s101x76.jpg?38f271e3d49cdfd5d0ef8cac5cad23b117d14f23)
An education center planned as a complement to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall earned an important go-ahead from the National Capital Planning Commission, which supporters say is one step closer to a dedicated space for all military services, but critics worry it could be a step backward for the sanctity of the memorial.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: I have read and heard a lot of media coverage of President Obama's speech at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day, however, I wanted the public to know how much his appearance ruined the day for thousands of Vietnam veterans in Washington to honor their fallen comrades, but were denied the opportunity to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Today is Flag Day, June 14th. A day to show respect for the symbol of our country: the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory". Our flag is more than a unique design – America was the first nation to use a five-pointed star as early as 1777 – it is a representation of those who fly it.
President Obama on Monday officially kicked off a years-long commemoration of the Vietnam War, saying the country should use the 50th anniversary of the conflict's start as a chance to apologize for poor treatment of returning veterans, which he called "one of the most painful chapters" in U.S. history.
