All Veterans Honor Flight missions visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, commonly known as the Vietnam Wall. This memorial features the names of all service members killed during the Vietnam War. Names are organized by the date of death, rather than alphabetically. Because of this, it’s important to know where to look for a name prior to your Honor Flight mission.
Finding A Name
Once on site – it can be very frustrating for a veteran when they can’t precisely remember a name, the spelling, the day it happened, etc. The fog of war/time can easily be swept away with preparedness. For example, a veteran may not remember the first name, but a little scratching of the surface reveals that “Paul” was actually “John Paul” or that Coombs was spelled Combes, etc. This type of confusion can be eliminated BEFORE you arrive, the veterans will have a smoother experience, and they will not experience a new level of frustration (forgetting an exact name) at a place where emotion may already be inundating them. Using our website’s Wall of Faces and the advanced search function can help you do that. Our website also has photos of every name on The Wall which could help confirm the correct name has been located. Go here to see/search The Wall of Faces – https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces
There are printed directories at each end of the walkway that list all the names on The Wall in alphabetical order. Along with the alphabetical name listing, you can see service branch, home state and casualty date. If you’re having trouble finding a name through our online Wall of Faces – the directories are a good way to find names if the veteran is unsure of the spelling.
App
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has launched their new smartphone app for finding names on the Wall! It looks and feels just like the search you are used to using on their website https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/, taking you directly to the advanced search feature.
It can be downloaded at:
Apple AppStore – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/find-a-name-vietnam-memorial/id6596772399
Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vvmf.find_a_name.test
Or search your app store under “find a name”.
The sole function of the app is to quickly find the panel and line numbers for a name. It also was developed specifically to work WITHOUT a cell/Wi-Fi connection to the Internet after it is downloaded. If you have an active Internet connection on your phone, the app will load a photo and will include a link to the VVMF web site’s full profile page. If not, it will still show an abbreviated profile, including panel and line.
It includes a version of the entire database of 58,000 names, so it may take a little longer to download.
Rubbings
Veterans are encouraged to make a rubbing of a name on the wall. A graphite pencil, or #2 pencil, is best for this. The memorial asks no crayons be used, as they can leave marks on the memorial. Guardians are advised to bring paper, in case the memorial does not have rubbing forms available.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial kiosk between The Wall and the Lincoln Memorial is where you can obtain additional sleeves, rubbing forms, information from NPS volunteers and park rangers – if there are no volunteers on duty at The Wall. Unfortunately, there are no set hours for the kiosk to be open.
In the unfortunate case of rain during your visit – please do not try and wipe The Wall dry as we have had incidents of unintended damage. Please use our mail in name rubbing postcards. If the kiosk is staffed, you can leave your completed cards there for us to pick up. If the kiosk is not staffed, the Flight Team will collect your requests and mail them to the memorial after the mission.
