East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association

Remember, Honor, Educate, Inspire:  These are the four primary goals of the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association and its two main objectives, the construction of a Memorial to the more than 5400 East Tennesseans who died in defense of their country and a Veterans History Center.

Exhibits and Outreach Programs:  The exhibits in the Veterans History Center will speak to all ages, including children, and demonstrate how history impacts their present day lives, especially the freedoms they enjoy in the United States owing to the sacrifices of veterans.  Our intent is to make those who died in defense our country “real” to all visitors.  Exhibits that help visitors realize that these fallen soldiers were just like their nineteen-year-old brother or son will personalize the experience.  We also envision the Center as a place for healing and reconciliation, particularly for the Vietnam War generation and later conflicts.

Education:  The Veterans History Center will provide visitors with information highlighting the rich history of East Tennessee’s veterans and their significant impact on the nation’s defense through the decades.  Additionally, we will attract school groups by working with educational boards and school systems to provide congruency between their current curriculum and our Center’s programs.
 
Preservation:  We will preserve the memory and honor the brave and valiant spirit of East Tennessee’s military men/women from World War I through the current conflicts in the Middle East.  We will make the story compelling and of interest to all U.S. citizens, including women, African-Americans, Native Americans, and others. 
 
A Historical Attraction for Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park:  ETVMA will create a place of respect and honor for 5400+ fallen soldiers, including those who received special recognition (14 Medal of Honor recipients from the region), as well as express our thanks to those who still serve.  This will be accomplished not only by the presence of the Memorial, but also in the Veterans History Center.

We have chosen a theme that will generate great interest and enthusiasm -- “Dog Tags of Freedom,” a permanent exhibit that will celebrate, preserve the story of, and honor all East Tennessee veterans.  As the Veterans History Center, like the Memorial itself, will honor veterans killed during wartime beginning with the First World War, when there was a formal adoption of “dog tags” as a means of identification, we will establish this unique relationship, which is bound to have a significant and positive impact on the Center’s perception and attendance. 
               
Visitors will receive a dog tag with the name of a veteran who was killed in action and whose name is inscribed on the Memorial. Within clear view is a large glass case housing several vintage military uniforms from each of the wars/conflicts from the storyline. Visitors are advised of an introductory film they are encouraged to view prior to exploring the Center. The film will capture the purpose of the project, the significance of the dog tags, introduce the stories and objects that are ahead in the exhibits, as well as promote a sense of patriotism, pride, and sacrifice.

Touch-screen video interactive stations placed against the walls will allow the visitor to look up the veteran whose name they have been randomly assigned and connect their emotions to a fallen soldier from their or another generation. Photographs, in-depth biographies, or listings of the soldier’s survivors or lineage will enhance this experience.
           
Another area will let visitors identify with veterans through a comprehensive database accessible on touch-screen monitors. This database will allow all veterans to submit their personal information (branch, unit, service dates, hometown, etc.). An oral histories video will be shown on the fourth wall depicting the families’ and friends’ testimonials on the lives/stories/backgrounds of the veterans prior to their ultimate sacrifice.
 
Through its Veterans History Center, the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association will strive to create a highly interactive experience, which will be enthusiastically received by our community and the general public.