Group Plans to Restore Vietnam Memorial's Grounds

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

It's no secret that the National Mall, home to some of the country's most recognizable memorials, is a worn-down mess. But fans of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial aren't waiting on Uncle Sam to fix it. Jan Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, says his group is taking charge to restore sod and the underground irrigation system on "the wall's" 13 acres. And the effort—aided by volunteers who also clean up trash—might not end there. Scruggs says he's raising money and looking for a corporate partner to continue the caretaking in perpetuity and perhaps add the grounds of the World War II, Korean War, and Jefferson memorials to its purview. He credits San Antonio Spurs' owner Peter Holt, chair of the fund's campaign to build an education center at the memorial, with the cleanup idea. "He has the Texas way of approaching problems—i.e., let's fix it," says Scruggs.

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