A proposal being considered by the National Park Service would change which objects left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would be added to the memorial's collection/National Park Foundation

Objects left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that have no direct connection to a Vietnam veteran or to the Vietnam War would not be added to the memorial's permanent collection under a proposal being considered by the National Park Service.

"By refining the scope of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection, we can ensure that our energy and resources will preserve items with a direct and specific relationship to veterans of the Vietnam War," said Gay Vietzke, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks. 

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection includes more than 400,000 objects left at the memorial since its dedication in 1982. Developed with assistance from museum professionals and Vietnam veterans, the proposed changes specify that the National Park Service would only keep personal artifacts of those soldiers whose names appear on the memorial; Vietnam War military service items, and; protest, activism, and advocacy materials related to the war.

In addition to items left at the wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection will also include elements related to the architecture of the memorial, such as the mold and casts for the Three Servicemen statue and test panels of the memorial used for corrosion studies, and archival materials related to the planning, design, construction and preservation of the memorial.

Tribute items with no direct connection to the Vietnam War or a Vietnam veteran, which today make up the majority of items left at the memorial, will no longer be retained under the proposal that is open for public comment through March 10. Additional items that would not be part of the permanent collection include mass-produced, impersonal items, such as patches and reproduction dog tags, perishable items or any others likely to deteriorate over time, objects that pose a safety hazard, and items relating to social or political movements or wars other than the Vietnam War. In cases where a large sample of a particular type of item already exists in the collection, only a representative sample will be retained.

A full copy of the draft Vietnam Veterans Memorial Scope of Collection Statement is available here. Comments can be left on this page.

Comments may also be submitted in writing to:

Gay Vietzke, Superintendent
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Attn: Vietnam Veterans Memorial SOCS
900 Ohio Drive SW
Washington, DC 20024

Comments must be entered into the website or postmarked by March 10, 2016 to receive consideration.