During the past several weeks it has come to our attention that an organization operating out of Illinois has been soliciting displays of a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which it has recently built to use as its fundraising device with money raised going to "homeless vets". Regardless of where their money goes, we are disturbed that once again someone has opted to attempt to steal The Moving Wall and pervert the principles on which The Moving Wall was conceived and to which it has stood firmly grounded. During the past fifteen years of The Moving Wall project, no money has been raised in order to fund another project. As you are well aware, it is our firm belief that there is not one individual whose name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and on The Moving Wall who died so that someone might use their names and memories to raise funds for any endeavor however noble those endeavors might be explained.

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What we have here is one more group who lacks the creativity or integrity to come up with their own project and feels it is nothing to simply begin living off the hard work and dedication of so many individuals and groups who have sacrificed time, skills, materials, and money to further the sharing that The Moving Wall epitomizes. They think nothing of stating that "me and another guy came up with the design" after virtually copying The Moving Wall.

It evidently means nothing to these thieves that many communities have dedicated many hours and much hard work in planning and preparing for The Moving Wall's visit. This is evidenced by the fact that they have already interfered by staging their fundraiser in close proximity to places who are already scheduled to display The Moving Wall.

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It means nothing to these thieves to spread slanderous statements about The Moving Wall by stating that "they charge over $20,000 for a weekend display" of The Moving Wall and that "they are living off the profits". Perhaps if we were charging $20,000 for a weekend, we might well be "living off the profits" as these thieves say.

�I believe that having been the ones to conceive and build The Moving Wall fourteen and one-half years ago, and the fact that we have brought The Moving Wall to communities all across the western hemisphere and to the Pacific Rim for the last thirteen years, without ever raising money over and above what it takes to support just the Wall, speaks in itself that the primary objective of simply sharing the Memorial -- with no other motive or intent -- has been adhered to without deviation.

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Not one of these other groups, past or present, who have stolen The Moving Wall concept have done so in order to simply share the Memorial with those who couldn't get to Washington. Each has decided to use the Memorial by stealing The Moving Wall concept to further other goals.

Some people might not care about ulterior motives. We, and I include in that "we" all those who have enhanced The Moving Wall project by their participation which simply furthered the concept of sharing, as well as every individual and organization who has acted as a sponsor so they could share the Wall with the people of their community -- that "we" does care about ulterior motives.

Thieves can only exist if they are allowed to prey off others' hard work and efforts. Put simply, don't allow thieves to destroy what has become a symbol of what is right with this country. By not supporting the theft of The Moving Wall, perhaps these thieves might get the message to fund their projects with their own creativity, not off the creativity of others! Thieves from the past have learned this lesson. Hopefully this new band will learn before they destroy that which has given hope and life to many.

In Peace and Patriotism,

John Devitt

Chairman, Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd.; Memorial Fund