Vietnam Veterans decry slack lawn upkeep at Vietnam wall

Veterans stake out memorial turf

Decry slack lawn upkeep at Vietnam wall

By Sarah Karush ASSOCIATED PRESS

Frustrated with poor maintenance by the federal government, the group that built the Vietnam War memorial is aiming to improve its little corner of the national Mall by taking over lawn care for 13.5 acres marred by weeds, moss and brown spots.

Officials with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund said they were moved to act after reading an Associated Press investigative story on the lack of federal money for the Mall, despite needed urgent repairs to the area known as "America's front yard."

The AP story in July analyzed congressional spending since 2005 and found the Mall has been at a disadvantage in competing for millions of dollars in extra funds doled out by lawmakers, compared with sites that are represented by powerful members of Congress. The Mall, covering some 650 acres, is in the District, which has no vote in the House or Senate.

Lawmakers frequently direct money to projects back home, but even as the problems became obvious at the national Mall - including the seawall visibly sinking in front of Thomas Jefferson's memorial - Congress killed a bill last year that would have paid for repairs. In January, lawmakers nixed $200 million in proposed stimulus funding for the Mall.

The private Vietnam veterans group plans to spend $96,000 in the coming months to repair a broken irrigation system and provide weed treatment, fertilization, aeration and other work. The group, which is working with the National Park Service to make sure the improvements adhere to the agency's specifications, intends to continue maintaining the grass in the long term, Fund President Jan C. Scruggs told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
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Veterans stake out memorial turf
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