UTSA, partners complete Vietnam War memorial research project

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Community volunteers supported by UTSA researchers collected and identified 361 photos of local fallen Vietnam soldiers


(September 28, 2016) -- Community volunteers working with support from UTSA's Institute of Texan Cultures have completed a years-long community research project to honor the brave San Antonio service members who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

Since 2010, the “Faces with Names” memorial photo project has sought to collect photographs of the 361 San Antonio natives inscribed upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. The national memorial honors more than 58,000 fallen Vietman War soldiers from across the nation.

This month, a team composed of UTSA leaders and volunteers matched a face to the final San Antonio name, completing the project. The volunteers came from all across San Antonio and were led by a team of retired military-affiliated individuals such as Charlie Calderon, retired U.S. Navy; Alfred Valenzuela, retired major general with the U.S. Army; J.R. Garza, veteran and past commander of Disabled American Veterans; and Mark Marquez, veteran and Fox Tech alum.

U.S. Army Sergeant Elvin Price, C TRP, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, was the final face matched to a name thanks to their years-long effort. He was born in San Antonio on March 19, 1941 and lost his life in combat on July 9, 1966. His name is found on the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 9E, Line 12, among other casualties that occurred between July 6, 1966 and August 13, 1966.

“When we proposed this project between the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures and Fox Tech alumni six years ago, our goal was to ensure that the names and faces of these brave soldiers lived on,” said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. “Now, with this project completed, they will always be part of a national memorial and education center, commemorating the 58,000 Americans who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.”

The UTSA and community volunteers worked with many local and national organizations to collect all 361 photos. The project took hundreds of hours of dedicated research to complete. Volunteers worked to going through donated yearbooks and digitized photographs, finding city and state documentation, and seeking out and interviewing relatives of the fallen service members.

The photo collection will be donated to and housed at the forthcoming Education Center at The Wall, which will be built at a site adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is funding the Wall.

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Learn more about the Faces with Names project and its origins.

Learn more about the Education Center at The Wall.

The “Faces with Names” project’s photo collection is currently housed at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. It is located on the UTSA Hemisfair campus at 601 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd, a short distance from he Alamo and River Walk. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information or library hours, visit TexanCultures.com.

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