Volunteer & Community Engagement

The Trust for the National Mall interviewed Laurie Ruffino, a volunteer on the National Mall and Vietnam War veteran from the 199th Infantry, who shared a special, chance encounter he had at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with two veterans who served in the same unit as him, as well as his experience as a volunteer and a welcoming face for the over five million visitors who come to see the Wall on the National Mall.

The Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service honored their Volunteers of the Year during a ceremony on the National Mall on December 3. Learn about our 2021 Volunteer Partner, Volunteer Group, Individual Volunteer and New Volunteer Awardees here. The Trust and NPS are grateful for its committed and ever-expanding corps of volunteers on the National Mall.

The volunteers who serve at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) are a dedicated group with a strong sense of community. Many of the volunteers are veterans of the Vietnam War or volunteer at the Memorial to honor their loved ones who served. Every Memorial Day, the team honors their Vietnam veterans with a wreath laying ceremony presented by the volunteer corps.

Candace Harman joined the volunteer corps in 2017 and has served at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and World War II Memorial. Candace has been volunteering at the Eisenhower Memorial since it opened in September 2020, after her trip to Normandy inspired a new appreciation for Eisenhower’s leadership during World War II. Candace has a long history with the National Mall, as she worked there as a seasonal Park Ranger at the beginning of her career.

Lynn Addington joined the National Mall volunteer team when the Eisenhower Memorial opened in September, and she has been an engaged member ever since, participating in both the Interpretation and Research teams. Lynn's experience as an educator is so useful in creating interpretive experiences that are engaging and accessible to people of multiple ages and backgrounds. Her favorite part of the Eisenhower Memorial is the young Ike statue because the statue is life size rather than heroic size. Lynn says, "When I meet visitors – especially families – I like to highlight this statue, as both the size and his age make Eisenhower seem more approachable. It’s also a great way to start a conversation about his early years and education."

Mary Beth Moore joined the National Mall volunteer team in 2014 and has served in a number of roles, including providing support at special events, visitor services across the National Mall, and, most recently, interpretation at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. Having lived in DC for over 40 years, Mary Beth has an in-depth knowledge of the city and is an amazing resource for visitors and locals alike. Mary Beth’s background in public health provides valuable perspective on Eisenhower and Oveta Culp Hobby’s work with the Department of Health, Education, and Wellness and the current historical context which volunteers serve the public in today.

Morgan Anderson has been volunteering at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial since its opening in September 2020, but her involvement began with the Memorial’s groundbreaking in 2017 as a member of Senator Pat Roberts’s team. Morgan is a native Kansan, and her childhood visits to Eisenhower’s home in Abilene first sparked her interest in Dwight Eisenhower, Morgan’s favorite president. Morgan's personal connections to Eisenhower and the Memorial give her a new perspective that has inspired many memorable visitor connections on site, including enriching Major General John F. Hussey, Commanding General of the 200th Military Police Command’s trip to the 34th President’s memorial.

Wilbur Snyder, a West Point graduate, served for twenty-five years in active duty. He was stationed in Germany, studied Russian, served in the Pentagon in the intelligence part of joint staff doing arms control inspections in the former Soviet Union, and served one tour at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in a unique unit called the Psychological Operations. He is a volunteer at the newly-opened Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial.

Veteran Don Adam has been a volunteer on the National Mall with the National Park Service since 2002. Adam has volunteered over 20,000 hours at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in honor of his cousin and comrades who gave the ultimate sacrifice. On August 25, 2020 Adams received the George & Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. The virtual ceremony was hosted by the National Park Foundation. Adams spent four years in the US Air Force from 1966 to 1970. He served in Japan and South Vietnam.

Retired Senior Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force, Harry F. Miller honorably served the United States from World War II through the Vietnam War. Over the course of his more than twenty-year career in the military, Miller experienced “The Battle of the Bulge,” tours in Vietnam, Korea and Japan, the Cuban Missle Crisis and so much in between.