[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 74 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6626-S6627]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Kerry):
  S. 1076. A bill to authorize construction of an education center at 
or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.
  Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial Education Center Bill. I am joined by my colleagues 
and fellow Vietnam veterans, Senators McCain and Kerry, in sponsoring 
this bill that would authorize the construction of an Education Center 
near the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
  Twenty-one years ago, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built as a 
permanent testament to the sacrifice of over 58,000 veterans who died 
during the Vietnam War. It is a place of remembrance for Vietnam 
veterans and their families.
  As the Vietnam War draws further into America's past, it is important 
for future generations to remember the sacrifices of those who gave 
their lives in Vietnam, and to understand the lessons learned in 
Vietnam.
  Most visitors to the Wall today were not alive during the Vietnam 
War. The Education Center would serve as an access point for the next 
generation. By collecting historic documents, artifacts and the 
testimony of Vietnam veterans, the Education Center would provide 
visitors with a better understanding of the Memorial.
  The Memorial was designed to accommodate expansion. Over the last two 
decades, the Wall's reach has extended; names of fallen soldiers have 
been added to the black granite. Building the Education Center 
underground would expand the memorial in a new direction--one that does 
not distract from the natural beauty of the Mall.
  The names on the Wall must never become simple, empty etchings. Their 
individual and collective power must remain connected to the real human 
sacrifices of war. The Education Center would help preserve this bond. 
It would affirm the meaning of the Wall, not just as an acknowledgment 
of a war or a date to be remembered, but as a living memorial with 
lessons to offer those who come to learn.
  Many educators, veterans, lawmakers and organizations have voiced 
strong support for the proposed Education Center. Like the Wall, the 
Center would be funded entirely by private donations--evidence of its 
broad-based public support. There would be no tax payer money involved 
in building the Center.
  Building an Education Center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would 
affirm the belief that we can inspire peace by educating our young 
people about the consequences of war. For there is no stronger advocate 
for peace than one who knows war.

[[Page S6627]]

  I am proud to sponsor this bill authorizing the construction of the 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center. I ask my colleagues to join 
me and Senators Kerry and McCain in support of this effort.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a special 
place on the national mall. Its design has proven moving to millions of 
visitors, offering a place of reflection, remembrance, and healing.
  Despite the ``Wall's'' success in honoring those who fell in Vietnam, 
the memorial lacks an appropriate visitors center, a place where the 
broader story of America's involvement in Vietnam can be told. The 
legislation we introduce today would authorize the construction of such 
a center to provide information on the memorial, and to perform 
appropriate educational and interpretive activities relating to the 
memorial.
  A Visitor's Center at the Vietnam Memorial is important, because the 
Vietnam War and the men and women who fought it are important. A 
Visitor's Center can provide a lasting gift of knowledge and 
understanding to those who visit the memorial, including students--for 
whom Vietnam is a passage in their history books--and their parents--
for whom the memories of Vietnam remain immediate.
  Adding a new structure to the national mall is not something we 
should do without consideration of the impact such an action will have 
on the open space we so cherish there. This legislation, however, 
specifies that the Visitor's Center be designed with those concerns in 
mind--and in fact we expect the structure to be built under-ground. In 
addition, the design, construction, and operation of this center will 
be borne by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. In this legislation, we 
seek only to authorize their work--not pay for it.
  Vietnam left its imprint on a generation. It remains a touchstone of 
the American experience in the twentieth century. A Visitors Center at 
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will help educate a new generation about 
the heros who served their country in the Vietnam War, and I am 
delighted to introduce this legislation with my fellow Vietnam 
veterans, Senator Hagel and Senator McCain.
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