To the Editor:

2015 marked the 20th anniversary of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, which pays tribute to the 1,563 New Jerseyans who did not return home from the Vietnam War and is located on the grounds of the PNC Arts Center at Exit 116 Garden State Parkway. It also marked 49 years since I first landed in Vietnam, after being drafted by the U.S. Army.

As executive director of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation (NJVVMF), I have been reunited with my brothers and sisters in our mission at NJVVMF. Together, we offer experiences at the Memorial and adjacent Museum that recognize the sacrifices, courage, and valor of Vietnam veterans.

I want to remind my fellow New Jerseyans that NJVVMF is privileged to operate the only museum in the country dedicated to the Vietnam Era. It is an important place where we educate people of all ages about the era through ceremony, exhibitions, events, and programs. Letters, artifacts, and video testimonies provide rare, personal experiences. Visitors learn history from those who lived it through our Vietnam veteran volunteered tours. Free tours are offered at 11 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Each year more than 9,000 school children visit us and their time with the veterans is life changing for both the students and guides. Our veterans have also helped veterans of recent wars through projects like our Huey helicopter restoration and Combat Paper Project.

As a not-for-profit organization, NJVVMF is self-supporting and we need the public’s support, both financially and through participation, to exist. With your help, we will preserve the legacy and continue to honor those who served and our active duty service men and women. Please remember us as we remember them.

Interested residents may check line 61 on the New Jersey tax form to donate. For information on the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center, visit njvvmf.org or call (732) 335-0033.

Bill Linderman

Executive Director, 

NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation