Some Gave All

Concept:

Some Gave All is an international project to honor all Vietnam Veterans who were killed during the war, or who died as a result of wounds, illness, or other causes related to their participation in the war. Vietnam Veterans from all sides of the conflict will be included. Participation in the Vietnam theater is the only requirement. We will not judge whether or not the death was the result of the war. If the family or friends feel it was war-related that will be sufficient. The term "Veteran" includes non-DOD personnel and civilians assigned in various roles within the theater.

The goal is to build and "publish" a memorial gallery for every deceased Vietnam Veteran. These galleries will be published via the Internet using a public access World Wide Web (WWW) site; on CD-ROM; and (eventually) in print form. Each of these galleries will contain contributed stories, images, poems, letters, and other appropriate materials related to the Veteran, his family, and friends.

Implementation:

A project of this scope will require thousands of helpers.

School children at the elementary and middle school levels (and their equivalents in other countries) will be the primary builders of the galleries. There is a school near the family and friends of every deceased Vietnam Veteran.

The kids who build these galleries are the focal point of this project. It is their project and legacy. Everyone else is involved in a support role. The credit and recognition for what these teams of students accomplish will be their's. This theme must be understood and acknowledged by all participants.

Vietnam Veterans (individuals and organizations) will work at the local level with teachers and school administrators to assist and guide the students in this effort. A "lean" support network of volunteers will coordinate the project at the state, national, and international level, and will be responsible for project leadership, logistics support, media production and distribution of the assembled galleries. The internet will be the primary method of communications, coordination, interchange of ideas, and dissemination of the galleries.

The format and "look and feel" of the individual galleries will be largely up to the kids that are building them. Prototypes and examples will be provided as a "kit" to get the ideas started. A few basic rules and design guidelines will be provided to the teachers and assistants to ensure that the galleries will function as a collective program.

Timeframe:

There is an urgency in beginning this project as soon as possible. The parents and many relatives and friends of Vietnam Veterans are reaching old age. They hold memories, recollections, and feelings for their Veteran that will be lost when they die. Many living Veterans, family, and friends have access to pictures, letters, media releases, and a wide variety of other information that directly or indirectly relate to a deceased Vietnam Veteran. This material is perishable, as are many of our recollections and memories.

Some Gave All will "never" be completed in the strict sense of the word. Material will be added to the galleries whenever it becomes available. As word of the project spreads throughout the world it can be reasonably expected that more and more persons with something to add will be reached. The project will include a mechanism for the continuous updating and periodic republishing of the galleries.

The "target date" is to start a 'beta' program with a few representative schools in several locations this school year. This will be a fast-moving, dynamic program. We will begin to publish the initial galleries as soon as they are developed so the kids can see the results of their efforts as soon as possible. The momentum will build very rapidly as the word gets out.

Organization:

I propose that the VVHP serve as the launching platform for this project. We have the key people, the credibility, the independence, the name-recognition, and we can reach out and touch a lot of motivated people. I submit that the VVHP can pull this off if we are well-organized and have a good flexible plan at the start, and if we distribute the workload throughout our corps of volunteers.

Some Gave All will be organized as a non-profit, charitable organization. We will need to recruit a lawyer to set this up properly. Our existing status through JR's company probably won't be adequate.

We will add helpers from our current pool of contacts, and recruit new volunteers as necessary to do this right. Maintaining the VVHP during the startup period of Some Gave All will be a challenge, as I expect most of us will be wearing several "hats".

There are a few key assignments that need to be made soon. We will use a small core group to write the initial plan. We are not going to plan this in exquisite detail. Getting it underway will be the best "schooling" for how to accomplish something like this.

Key assignments will include:

Perfectionists Beware: This project will grow exponentially in directions we never anticipated. It will take on a life of it's own very rapidly, and it will defy close control or micromanagment. Rolling with the punches will be the norm.

A dedicated Web Site, ftp site, and mailing list will be established to plan and support Some Gave All at "http://www.vietvet.org/gaveall.

Open discussion on Some Gave All among your trusted friends is encouraged, however the emphasis should be on what it will take to get it rolling, not whether or not it is possible, feasible, dumb, or original. We need honest constructive ideas and recommendations. I feel very comfortable running it over the coals within our VVHP group and among a selected few others. Team players are essential.

Let's use the rest of August for brainstorming and September to organize and develop and refine the plan.

Send email regarding this project to billm@wmcbride.space.swri.edu with Some Gave All in the subject header. "cc" others as desired. I'll update this site with pertinant comments, ideas, recommendations.