Today, September 22, marks the 48th anniversary of the enactment of the Peace Corps Act. And two years from today we hope you'll be with us on the National Mall in Washington, DC as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Peace Corps.
That's right. It's only two years away!
It's going to be a big deal.
As you can imagine, a lot of planning for this significant milestone has taken place in the past four years...and much remains. You can find information and resources concerning the 50th anniversary on National Peace Corps Association's regularly updated 50th Anniversary page. Access the latest outline and brief description of events planned for the anniversary year. Learn how to donate materials to the Peace Corps Collection at Kennedy Library or to the Peace Corps's Digital Library. And much more.
The most recent addition to the page is a letter from the NPCA Board Chair, Jan Guifarro, providing an important update on NPCA's activities around the 50th, including plans for a commemorative space near the National Mall. We encourage you to read it.
Jan writes:
As we develop our 50th Anniversary plans, including the commemorative, we will continue to reach out to the Peace Corps community. We recognize that not every community member agrees with every aspect of what the Peace Corps or NPCA does, nor will everyone support every aspect of the 50th Anniversary plans and activities. We do, however, firmly believe that based on extensive consultation there is broad consensus that now is the time for the establishment of a commemorative near the National Mall that honors the founding of the Peace Corps, its place in American history, and the values it represents.
[You can read Executive Order 10924: Establishment of the Peace Corps here, at the National Archive's website. And this morning Garrison Keillor did a nice little piece as part of his daily Writer's Almanac show on National Public Radio. You can read it or listen to it here.]
Hi Bob, and other commentors, Without weighing in on the value of a memorial in Washington that nobody ever sees, we might take a clue from the Vietnam Vets, none of whom identified with Washington.
While the government invented "the Wall" which became one of the most visited sites in Washington, quietly, a father of a deceased Vietnam Vet, at his own expense, erected a simple, but elegant, monument on property he owned, in northern New Mexico.
Today, every Memorial Day, on all the highways leading to "Eagle Nest" you'll see them coming. On motorcyles, cars, vans. Hundreds of them. Like the '60s, and "Easy Rider" all over again. Then, a few days later, they're gone. In between, they commiserate a lot, drink a lot of beer, and seem to be glad to see one another, and "connect".
The homemade monument at Eagle Nest is a focal point, not for the Vietnam War, which most of these guys have ambiguous feelings about (including me, fellow RPCVs), but a monument to personal integrity, and what it was to do ones' duty, as it was asked of him (or her), even as ambiguous at that.
With the more recent opportunistic, elective wars (this time fought by "volunteers", not us conscripts), we're beginning to see the same dichotomy. The guys who fight them, are very different than the guys who invent them.
The monument to Peace Corps values, service, or whatever it commemorates, should NOT be in Washington, for the benefit of establishment types, but someplace more identified with common people. Maybe Dubuque, Iowa, or Omaha, Nebraska. Or here in New Mexico, which always has been a testament to duty, and to ambiguity, and where people come for perspective.
John Turnbull NMPCA Lower Canoncito New Mexico
Posted by: john turnbull | November 30, 2009 at 09:21 PM
I think the problem is it's going to be with USIP on the mall. It's also going to be between war memorials. I don't think this will help PC, unless we're moving to USIP, which would make sense. They usually move us somewhere, like VISTA, when we get large amounts of money. PC is 95% administration and that's why they move us somewhere we can be managed for reasonable costs.
We're just asking Congress to authorize what they already authorized for USIP, except they have this real big office.
We should find a place for a monument that is unique and all PC.
Posted by: CJ | October 16, 2009 at 10:32 AM
How about surveying the RPCV community to see if there is majority
support for a memorial?
Posted by: Bob Klein (Ghana 1961-1963) | October 15, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Jan's message on the 50th...
Let's get moving on the selection of the Leadership Team( I volunteer) and the 50th Memorial planning. As you are aware there have been many failed attempts on this idea, particularly memorials to the "Fallen PCV's," so let's not "drop the ball" this time.
Dennis Grubb
Colombia I (1961-1963)
Posted by: Dennis Grubb | September 28, 2009 at 09:39 AM