Wall of Faces project seeks photos of Kansas soldiers killed in Vietnam War
It is called the Wall of Faces project.
The goal is to display more than 58,300 photos of U.S. service personnel killed in the Vietnam War. In turn, those photos will be displayed in a Wall of Faces exhibit at a new education center that has been built at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
There were 627 Kansas servicemen killed in the war, and the Kansas Press Association is trying to locate photos for all of them. So far, it has located nearly half, said Emily Bradbury, member service director for the press association.
Bradbury hopes the remaining photos can be found and delivered to the national memorial before Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
The press association is reaching out to Kansas newspapers in all 105 counties.
Nearly 10 percent of the photos being sought are from the Wichita or Sedgwick County area.
“In the most simplistic way, they are wanting to put a face to the name so that if you go to the visitors center, you can call up a name and a photo will come up on the screen,” Bradbury said. “We have these lists of people – of their hometowns and when they were born and died.”
There may be instances of servicemen who died in the war but are not on the list. Chances are, she said, the press association already has a photo for that individual.
“This started out as a project we believed we were a logical partner to help,” she said. “But it has grown into a labor of love for all of us.
“It is uplifting and sad. We may be looking for guys who may not have any living relatives. These individuals gave the ultimate sacrifice. We are trying to give them the recognition they deserve.”
Most of the photos are military shots, some are candid photographs with children and still others are yearbook photos.
“We are taking anything we can,” Bradbury said. “If it is clear, we are going to use it.”
For more info
The full list of the Kansas service members killed in the Vietnam War is attached to this story.
And to see a link describing more about the Wall of Faces project with the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., go to www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/. To submit a photo, contact Emily Bradbury at ebradbury@kspress.com or mail it to Bradley at the Kansas Press Association, 5423 SW Seventh St., Topeka, KS 66606.
This story was originally published September 28, 2014 at 9:10 PM with the headline "Wall of Faces project seeks photos of Kansas soldiers killed in Vietnam War."