FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – For its work in renovating and restoring its facility and bringing a replica of the Vietnam Veterans wall to the area, the board of directors of the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum has been named the recipient of the 2021 Linda & Jerry Vandeveer Impact Award.
The following was issued on Thursday:
The award was presented by the Allen County Board of Commissioners along with the award’s namesake, Jerry Vandeveer, today during a ceremony held at the shrine on O’Day Road.
The board was recognized for its ongoing project to completely restore and improve the museum which had fallen into disrepair due to water damage and flooding. The museum houses more than 2,000 donated artifacts from the American Revolutionary War to the recent war in Afghanistan. Future plans include a new Sterling Chapel, an expansion of the current museum, a Columbarium to memorialize veterans, and a walk-path through the history of war with new monuments scheduled to be erected.
This past Memorial Day, the 40-acre shrine became the permanent home for a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The wall is similar to the original memorial in Washington, D.C., and features the inscribed names of more than 58,000 American men and women who died in the Vietnam War.
The Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum is a nonprofit organization and is completely funded through donations. Its board is made up of veterans who volunteer their service.
The shrine’s directors received a personal plaque and the board’s name was included on a permanent plaque that is kept in the commissioners’ office. They also received checks totaling $550 from Fire-Police City-County Federal Credit Union which is handling a special account established by an anonymous donor for recipients of the award.
The commissioners announced establishment of the award in 2016 to be presented annually to an individual or individuals who reside in Allen County and have lived a life of service to our community outside of their regular profession in the example and tradition set by the Vandeveers.
