Voices of Veterans and Volunteers

Voices of Veterans and Volunteers

The idea of serving one’s country, in any capacity, is important to me and helped lead me to found the Trust for the National Mall.  The process began 18 years ago in conversations with the National Park Service and became official in 2007.  Still, the way the Trust continues to innovate and evolve inspires me.  It works to restore and preserve our iconic monuments and to enrich the Mall, looking ahead to ensure future generations feel welcomed and inspired – and to provide unique volunteer opportunities to serve our nation on America’s Front Yard.

The memorials to our veterans and to our nation’s heroes keep history alive and help generations of young people forge their own connections to the ideals and meaning of America.  As the nation pauses to honor our veterans, I think spotlighting their stories and the messages they want the next generation to understand is fitting – and a great way to honor their lifetimes of service. 

Special thanks to the veterans who spoke with us, and to Trust for the National Mall team members Stephen Saunders, Vice President of Philanthropy; Carolyn Perricelli, Marketing and Philanthropy Assistant, and Eduard Krakhmalnikov, Director of Public Engagement Programs for conducting this series of conversations.

Please pause today and read our veterans’ stories, and share your own #MyNationalMallStory with us.

With gratitude,

John "Chip" Akridge, III, Founder and Chairman, Trust for the National Mall

To all those who have served, and those who continue to serve, thank you for your service and sacrifice. The Trust is honored to be able to share some of your stories this Veteran’s Day. 

More "Voices of Veterans and Volunteers"
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Wilbur Snynder
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Wilbur Snynder

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.

Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Don Adam
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Don Adam

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.

Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Hank Lazzaro
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Hank Lazzaro

Veteran and volunteer on the National Mall Hank Lazzaro shares the importance of these memorials to educate visitors from around the world about the sacrifices the men and women made in conflict, and to heal those who served. Lazzaro served a 13-month tour in Vietnam and was in the Marine Corps Reserves, totaling 11 years of Marine Corps service. After he graduated from law school he spent 32 years with the Navy, retiring as a Captain. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps; when he left there to go into the Navy to be Captain, he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps. In total, he had 11 years in active-duty time and 32 years reserve time.

Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Harry Miller
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Harry Miller

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.

Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Chip Akridge
Voices of Veterans and Volunteers: Chip Akridge

As the Founder and Chairman of the commercial real estate firm bearing his name, John “Chip” Akridge is an innovator in the industry, a committed advocate of community initiatives in the Washington, D.C. region, and a dedicated supporter of philanthropic and charitable organizations. He has served as a member of the Economic Development and Executive Committees of the Federal City Council, and as chairman of the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Emergency Preparedness Task Force. He has received numerous industry awards and is a strong advocate for the environment. He has served on the boards of leading environmental nonprofits and various agencies of the city government. Chip is a Distinguished Eagle Scout and a Vietnam veteran.

We talked with Chip about his own experience as a veteran, what he hopes visitors take away from their visits to the memorials, and what he wants to share with those who can’t be here in person.

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