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Press Release
March 26, 2008

Footnote.com and the National Archives Launch an Interactive Vietnam War Memorial

Footnote.com’s innovative social web site lets visitors pay tribute to Vietnam War heroes from their PC

Contact Information

  • NARA Public Affairs Contact National Archives Public Affairs Staff, (202) 357-5300
  • Footnote.com Marketing Director Footnote.com - Justin Schroepfer, Marketing Director, (801) 494-6517, Justin@footnote.com
  • Public Relations Contact for Footnote.com Jeremy Kartchner, Snapp Conner PR for Footnote.com, (801) 994-9625, jeremy@snappconner.com

Washington, DC, and Lindon, UT – Footnote.com and the National Archives and Records Administration held a press conference at the Archives in Washington, DC, to announce the release of an online interactive photo of the Vietnam War Memorial. In addition to releasing this unique version of the Wall, Footnote.com enables visitors to search the Wall for people they know and pay tribute by adding photos, comments and stories of those who lost their lives during the Vietnam conflict.

“The Wall is more than just 58,000 plus names,” explains Richard Schroepfer, a Vietnam War Veteran. “Many of these people were my friends. And now Footnote.com helps me create a remembrance of these fine gentlemen.” View a video of Richard Schroepfer and his experience with the Wall on Footnote.com.

Footnote.com started the project by contracting the expertise of Peter Krogh, a National Geographic photographer, who was given the challenge to photograph the entire wall. Creating this online version of the Wall required almost 1,500 individual photos that were stitched together to create one single image. The process took over five months and resulted in an image that is nearly five gigapixels in size. Despite the immense size, just about anyone can view the image on Footnote.com via an Internet connection.

Footnote.com partnered with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to link the service records and casualty reports to each name on the Wall. “The records of the Vietnam War in the National Archives are essential resources for veterans to revisit their history and establish their rights,” explains Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein. “These extensive files are mined by scholars every day as they continue to interpret and understand this pivotal period in American history.” Footnote.com will also be digitizing National Archives photos from the Vietnam War.

Finding someone on the Wall is as simple as typing a name into a search box and letting Footnote.com quickly locate and zoom into the area of the Wall where the individual name can be viewed. Once the name is located, visitors can see the soldier’s service record and view comments, stories and photos that have been contributed by other visitors.

Footnote.com is about discovering, discussing, and sharing the stories of our past,” says Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We know that there are many untold experiences represented on that Wall, and we hope that this interactive version of the memorial helps those affected by the war by sharing their stories.”

Footnote.com also provides a way for visitors to create a tribute page dedicated to the brave men and women who served in Vietnam, who may not be on the Wall. These pages become a way for veterans, family and friends to share experiences and feelings about this event that has had a great impact on so many. Footnote.com hopes that this interactive Wall becomes a means for healing and paying tribute to those whose sacrifice and service have been underappreciated for so long.
View the Interactive Wall on Footnote.com.

About Footnote, Inc.

Footnote.com is a subscription web site that features searchable original documents, providing users with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit www.footnote.com.

About The National Archives

NARA alone is the archives of the Government of the United States, responsible for safeguarding records of all three branches of the Federal Government. The records held by the National Archives belong to the public – and it is the mission of the National Archives to ensure the public can discover, use, and learn from the records of their government.

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001
Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272