Memorial Announced for Iraq, Afghan Fallen on the National Mall

About time, I've mentioned this a few times in recent years and was wondering why these vets, especially IAVA, teaming up with other groups formed from these wars, as the biggest organization, had not announced and started raising funds for, hopefully without the negative battles and comments that started as our Vietnam brothers did same for Vietnam Memorial and continued when the choice of the Memorial was first picked. I've had a picture of a Memorial for these two conflicts, with the names also of the First Gulf War Fallen as well, in my head, not as an extension of the Vietnam education center as described in this announcement, but that sounds like a great idea as well especially as to the types of wars and occupations this nation sends it's soldiers into. Not so much as to the Memorial itself but what would be built and where. A Memorial facing 'The Wall' and with steps counting the years of both when officially over, meaning now when the last soldiers are officially withdrawn from Afghanistan as that slow withdrawal is now under way to determine the numbers of steps. Why the steps and why facing 'The Wall', because the country didn't learn the lessons of Vietnam as it said in one voice, way back then, it Would Never Forget. The Fallen of these are the results of that as to a nation, this nation! But of course this should be up to these Veterans and these Wars on what it should look like and their combined thoughts on how to Honor their fallen brothers and sisters, though I still feel strongly the First Gulf War should be included, for these are the extension from.

Tribute to Iraq, Afghan veterans planned for National Mall

Mar 01, 2012 - With the Iraq war just over, and Afghanistan continuing, plans already are under way to honor those veterans in a new National Mall tribute in the works.

The tribute wouldn't be a full-scale Iraq and Afghanistan war memorial. But the group that built the Vietnam memorial wall of names said it will expand the scope of a planned education center nearby to include service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their photos would be displayed alongside those of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who died in the Vietnam conflict that ended in 1975.

The new facility, due to break ground in November and open in 2014, is an offshoot of the Vietnam memorial that opened on the Mall in 1982. The new underground space, to be called The Education Center at The Wall, will feature stories of the long line of U.S. war dead from various conflicts including Vietnam.