A Face for Every Name
The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation Successfully Completes the Wall of Faces Project
By Julia Zapcic, UltraViolet Agency
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation Museum is delighted to announce that there is now a photograph for each of the 1,563 New Jersey Vietnam Veterans who died while deployed overseas serving their country in the Vietnam War.
Holmdel, NJ (April 29, 2019) – The Wall of Faces is one of the signature projects facilitated by the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation. Available online, the project’s’ principal goal is to collect at least one image of each of those New Jersey Vietnam Veterans who died overseas in the Vietnam war. Behind each of those faces, the professional staff and a host of dedicated volunteers have also compiled and uploaded important biographical information, so that each person is remembered for who they were in life — complicated, interesting individuals who deserve to be remembered for the lives they lived as well as for their deaths in service to our country.
After years of searching, the last photo to be found was of Frank Joseph Kohlmyer, an Air Force Staff Sergeant from Pennsauken. Finding his photograph completes the search and the 1,563 names on the wall now have a photo on the NJVVMF Wall of Faces.
“The effort to find photographs of each of the 1,563 New Jerseyans who lost their lives while serving in Vietnam has been ongoing since our organization began,” said Greg Waters, Curator for the NJVVMF and principal staff member responsible for seeing the project to its successful conclusion. “We are so excited that this project is now complete as these photographs are an incredibly important way to remember these individuals and honor their service and sacrifice.”
New Jersey is the 40th state to find all of their photographs, a feat that represents the work of dozens of volunteers and staff, as well as hundreds of hours of dedicated research and conversations with family and friends of NJ Vietnam vets. “Over the years there have been numerous staff members and volunteers who have spent their time and energy searching for these photographs,” said Waters, “and we are incredibly grateful to everyone that has helped along the way.”
The Wall of Faces is often the first resource that family, friends, students and educators use to begin researching the history of the Vietnam War, especially as it relates to the impact of those who bravely served and sacrificed all. Anyone with information about any of the soldiers remembered on the NJVVMF Memorial Wall are invited to contact Waters to discuss updating the biographic information available online or to donate (or loan) artifacts to the Museum.
The NJVVMF Museum is open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., except when noted. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Veterans, active military personnel and children under 12 are admitted for free.
Click here for more information about the Museum, including updates about special exhibition events, like the recently installed exhibit, Above & Beyond: The History of the Medal of Honor.