Alaskan Congressman Don Young joined Second Lady Jill Biden, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund President Jan Scruggs in breaking ground for The Education Center at the Wall on Wednesday.

The Education Center at the Wall will tell the stories and pay tribute to American service members lost in the Vietnam War as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Congressman Young was a member of the honorary groundbreaking committee.

“American men and women lost in battle should not – and will not – be forgotten,” said Rep. Young. “The Education Center at the Wall will not only honor Vietnam veterans who did not come home from the battlefield, but it will also honor Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The Center will serve as an educational tool for decades to come and will tell the many stories of the veterans of these wars. I was honored and proud to participate in today’s groundbreaking – and look forward to coming back when it opens.”

Earlier this year, Congressman Young introduced legislation, H.R. 6291, that would allow the Education Center at the Wall to acknowledge donor contributions permanently inside the center. This bill will help fully fund construction of the Education Center at the Wall without costing the American taxpayers.