Please take a moment to read the enclosed note from CSM Jimmie Spencer, USA-Ret.

Whether or not you served or had a loved one who served during the Vietnam War, I believe you'll find his story to be a powerful example of the high cost American Soldiers have paid to defend our country.

As a Founding Sponsor and generous supporter of The National Museum of the U.S. Army, you know there is presently no National Museum honoring the service and sacrifices of those who wore the uniform of the U.S. Army.

But because so many of our Charter Members are Vietnam veterans, or have family members who are Vietnam veterans, I really want to take a moment to focus on how this new Museum will honor those who served during that war.

The fact is, there are over 4.3 million Army veterans from the Vietnam era ... 2.3 million of them, like Jimmie Spencer, served in-country or in Southeast Asia.

They deserve - finally - a place of honor that tells the official story of the American Soldier in Vietnam from the point of view of the U.S. Army, as only we can tell it.

Today, I hope you will take a moment to send a very special gift of $50 or $100 to

the National Army Museum - in honor of those veterans who served their country during the Vietnam War.

Let me tell you why your contribution today is so vitally important. When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. was unveiled, America finally had a sacred piece of ground to honor the fallen heroes of Vietnam. It is right and appropriate that this nation should have done so.

But the Vietnam Memorial does not tell their stories. It only lists their names.

And what of the living veterans - those that survived the Vietnam War? Who will tell their stories?

This is where you can make a difference. Your generous contribution today will help create a new National Museum that not only honors the service of American Soldiers in Vietnam but also fully chronicles their contributions in the conflict.

It will be a place where veterans and civilians alike can come together and learn the triumphs and tragedies of the American Soldier in every war this nation has ever fought, including the Vietnam War during an especially turbulent time in our history.

American Soldiers were under constant threat from snipers, booby traps, mines, mortars, and at times all-out frontal assault by Vietcong insurgents and North Vietnamese regulars.

They fought at little known, oddly named places like Hamburger Hill ... Firebase Ripcord ... and the Ia Drang Valley - the latter being immortalized in Lt. General Harold G. Moore's and Joseph Galloway's book, We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young.

Nowhere was safe. All of South Vietnam was a battle zone.

Then there was the oppressive heat and rain. On top of that you had to worry about snakes, leeches, insects and disease. The stress of war was ever present.

Yet our troops fought bravely and effectively. They never lost a major battle.

And what happened when they returned home? The nation failed to welcome them back.

Some were even blamed for the war. Such were the divisions of Vietnam.

Over time, America's attitude changed. Today Vietnam veterans are held in high esteem.

As President Reagan said of our Vietnam veterans on Memorial Day in 1984:

"Today we pause to embrace ... all who served us so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. We can be worthy of the values and ideals for which our sons sacrificed - worthy of their courage in the face of a fear that few of us will ever experience - by honoring their commitment and devotion to duty and country.

"Many veterans of Vietnam ... have kept their experiences private, but most have been strengthened by their call to duty. A grateful nation opens her heart today in gratitude for their sacrifice, for their courage, and for their noble service."

Ronald Reagan's words captured the sentiments that we owe all Vietnam veterans.

Because those who served did so with pride, honor and, above all, courage. Now their story - the true story - needs to be told.

Thanks to the help of Founding Sponsors like you, the U.S. Army is undertaking a major $200 million campaign to build The National Museum of the U.S. Army.

As you know, our Museum is about more than just Vietnam. The Museum will honor over 230 years of achievements by America's Soldiers. It will chronicle the role of the United States Army from the American Revolution, through World Wars I and II and Korea, to present­ day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

America needs this Museum. But we need your continued support to bring it to life!

That's why I'm asking you to send a contribution of$50 or $100 today. We need to raise $650,000 in the next 45 days to keep our campaign from falling behind schedule.

With your ongoing support, American Soldiers who gave their all in Vietnam will finally have something they've never had before - a home of their own, the one place they will want to visit with their families, a legacy they'll pass on to their children and grandchildren.

Thank you for being part of this campaign. I am honored that you have joined with us.

Sincerely,

BG Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. USA-Ret. Executive Director, Army Historical Foundation

P.S. On a personal note, I have a very special reason for wanting to build the National Army Museum. My father was General Creighton Abrams. He served under General George Patton during World War II and commanded military operations in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. There was no greater champion of the American Soldier. I know it would be important to my father that we honor the service and sacrifices of all American Soldiers who gave their all for America.