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Vietnam Education Center ProposalJuly 17, 2001 The National Coalition to Save Our Mall is strongly opposed to proposals to place an underground education/visitor center alongside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall. Congress passed the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) in 1986 directly in response to concerns about overbuilding on the Mall, in the wake of the Vietnam and Korean Veterans memorials. An education center adjacent to the Vietnam memorial would violate the CWA, in that it would interfere with open space around the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Its size and proximity to the Vietnam memorial would overwhelm the environment of quiet isolation and contemplation that is an integral component of its unique power. Siting a museum on the Mall also would violate the "Reserve" proposed in the Master Plan for Memorials, Monuments, and Museums of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). The National Coalition to Save Our Mall supports the Master Plan proposal to distribute future monuments and museums throughout the city. If an education center is needed, it should be located on one of the 102 sites already identified by NCPC planners and supported by the National Park Service. Better still, we would urge Congress and the responsible government agencies to consider authorizing a military museum that could educate future generations not only about Vietnam but also about the Korean War and World War II (in addition to other military actions) and which could be located as part of the cluster of military properties along the Anacostia and Potomac waterfronts. |
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