Veterans Legacy Program memorializes service, stories

Secretary Bob McDonald and interim Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Ron Walters launched the Veterans Legacy Program on Memorial Day 2016 at Riverside National Cemetery with a mission to memorialize Veterans’ service to the nation by telling their stories.

The effort seeks to engage educators, students and the general public to build an appreciation of what earlier generations have given to the nation and help us understand why this ground is set aside as “national shrines in tribute to the gallant dead.”

Using online educational resources such as lesson plans, interactive maps and short video vignettes, NCA seeks to engage the general public, students and educators. NCA will make these materials available on a dedicated landing page for the project. The initiative was launched at two pilot sites: Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina and Riverside National Cemetery in California. In the future, additional lesson plans and videos will be developed for each VA national cemeteries – these cemetery-specific resources will help create a comprehensive virtual library and archive for the public.

You can receive updates about the Veterans Legacy Program sign-up for notifications, e-mails and information by subscribing here.

About the author: Since 2015, Tom Howard has served as the Chief of Staff for the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). He joined NCA in 2009 as a student intern, and he has worked in various offices such as the Legislative and Regulatory Division and the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Finance and Planning.

About the video: Videography by Ted Buxton. Ted is a Vietnam Veteran, who served in the Air Force From 1971-1974. He has been working as an Audiovisual Production Specialist at the Loma Linda VA Healthcare System since 1984.