Is Never Free

Founder

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Jan Scruggs was just one of the 2.7 million veterans who served our great country in the Vietnam War. He was a decorated corporal infantryman who received the Purple Heart and was one of the lucky ones who made it home in one piece. Our soft-spoken hero was fortunate enough to come back home alive to a country he risked his life for during one of America’s most confusing times. Unfortunately, over 58,000 patriotic American’s never came back, while 300,000 came home wounded.

Each and every veteran that returns home to the United States has a unique and powerful story. Regrettably, the public only hears a few of them. Some are of triumph and some of tragedy. This is a story of hope for a better future from a man who chose to do something positive during a negative time by honoring those who gave their lives for the continued freedom of America.

Scruggs was raised in Bowie, Maryland. After he graduated from high school he served with the U.S. Army’s 199th Light Infantry Brigade. After valiantly serving his term in Vietnam he came home and attended American University in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a masters degree in counseling.

Photograph by Michael John Coleman

It was during the time that he was doing graduate school research on Vietnam veterans that he came up with the idea to create a national memorial honoring all Americans who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. Each individual would have their name inscribed in the memorial.

At the young age of only 29, Scruggs set out to do what not even Congress could do, and that was to tackle the project head-on and raise the funding necessary to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

He launched the effort in May of 1979 using $2,800 of his own money. Strong perseverance finally paid off when Scruggs received support from U.S. Senators Charles Mathias, Jr., of Maryland and John W. Warner of Virginia. Senator Mathias soon introduced legislation to authorize a site of national park land for the Memorial while Senator Warner was instrumental in raising the first significant financial contributions for the project.

Amazingly, more than 275,000 individual Americans donated the bulk of the funds needed to build the Memorial. Over $8 million was raised, all from private sources, including corporations, foundations, unions, veterans groups and civic organizations.

In October of 1981, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund announced the design competition for the Memorial. Eight internationally-recognized artists and designers were selected as judges. 1,421 design entries were submitted from all over the country. Unanimously, they selected the design of Maya Ying Lin, a 21-year-old senior from Yale University who took on the project as part of a class assignment.

Lin imagined two facing walls of names, similar to the pages of a book. She wanted the monument to be part of the earth and low to the ground. It would be V shaped with one direction pointing to the Washington Monument and the other to the Lincoln Memorial. In just over three years, Jan’s vision of the Memorial supported by the help of thousands became a reality on November 13, 1982 as it was now completed and dedicated.

Today, the names of 58,202 brave Americans are etched into the polished black granite walls of seventy panels. The wall radiates a beautiful reflection that catches not only the change of season but the reflections from the hearts of all those who see it. It is estimated that over 4 million people per year visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most visited monument in the nation.

After the completion of the memorial, Scruggs put to paper his emotionally moving book “To Heal A Nation” which is the story based on the Vietnam War and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In May of 1988, it became the “NBC Movie of the Week.”

Recently, he has come out with his latest book “Why Vietnam Still Matters, The War and The Wall” which is dedicated to high school students. Over 50 great men and women, some famous, some not so famous share their thoughts and insights on the American tragedy of Vietnam through their first hand essays. Also included, are entries from volunteer guides who donate much of their time at the Wall. They have written about some of the joyous as well as tearful moments they have experienced with visitors which some call “Wall Magic.”

Jan has appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Nightline, Good Morning America as well as served as host for the Larry King Show.

Currently, our you-can-do-it patriotic American is an independent businessman, attorney and motivational speaker to some of our country’s largest corporations such as AT&T and IBM. Scruggs has also spoken to the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table with his simple yet highly impactful message – “Courage is Life’s Great Equalizer.” He has thrilled hundreds of audiences over the last decade with his canny use of humor and quotations from some of America’s great minds ranging from George Washington to Thomas Jefferson.

For those of us who have still yet to visit our nation’s Capitol, please don’t hesitate to make a trip to The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, founded by Jan Scruggs. Make it a priority on your list, you will be glad you did.

When asked to define his American Dream, Jan replied, “The American Dream means that in this country we have a chance. We have the opportunity to succeed or to fail and a chance to continue trying. Yet the American Dream means so much more than garages and automobiles. The opportunities before us include not just personal wealth, but more importantly, opportunities to serve and to help others.”

Jan Scruggs, along with America’s silent heroes, our courageous veterans, reminds us all, The Price Of Freedom Is Never Free.