Addition to Wall Planned

Omaha, Nebraska (North Platte Bulletin) -- Omaha resident Jan Scruggs,
who started the move to build the Wall in DC, remembers fighting a
battle in Vietnam on Veterans Day. "It was really kind of a bad year,"
said Scruggs, who entered the at age 19 and was seriously wounded.
Scruggs and others are pushing for a visitors center near the polished
black granite monument, which is the most visited memorial in DC.
"Without the center, the memorial is failing to educate young people."
Scruggs said after speaking at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha Monday.
Scruggs spoke to more than 300 people about his time in the Army
during Vietnam and his work for a memorial.
More than 58,000 American troops died in Vietnam. The war ended in
1975. But Scruggs couldn't get the war out of his head and decided in
March 1979 that he would get a memorial built. He founded the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Fund and raised $8 million from 275,000 donors. The
memorial was dedicated in 1982.
"The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was needed because the veterans never
got any kind of thank-you or appreciation for their service," Scruggs
said after his speech. "You know - controversial war."
Scruggs is hopeful groundbreaking could start in 2005, after at least
$12 million is raised, all in private donations. The House and Senate
approved the visitors center last week.
Senator Chuck Hagel, who introduced Scruggs to the Omaha crowd, was a
strong supporter of the Vietnam memorial. He and fellow Vietnam
veterans Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Kerry (D-MA) backed the Senate
bill to authorize the education center construction.