14 Facts About Jan Scruggs

Jan Scruggs was born on March 11,1950, in Bowie, Maryland to James and Louise Jan Scruggs.

Jan Scruggs enlisted in the US Army in August 1968, having given little thought to the fact that the Vietnam War was raging.

Jan Scruggs's unit was sent to Vietnam in April 1969 for a one-year tour of duty.

In November 1969, Jan Scruggs was involved in another firefight with the Viet Cong.

Jan Scruggs left the Army in March 1970 as a corporal, by which time he had received three Army Commendation Medals, as well as the "V" device for Valor which is attached to the Army Commendation Medal.

Jan Scruggs received his bachelor's degree from American University in 1975.

Jan Scruggs announced the formation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund on May 28,1979, the start of Vietnam Veterans Week.

Jan Scruggs left the VVMF in 1985 to pursue other challenges.

In part, he was motivated by the neglect of the District of Columbia War Memorial, a structure on the National Mall which commemorates those individuals from the District of Columbia who lost their lives serving in World War I Scruggs did not want the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to fall into disrepair, and felt that a strong VVMF would help avoid that.

In 2008, Jan Scruggs underwent surgery to have a damaged valve in his heart replaced with an artificial one.

Jan Scruggs retired from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at the end of June 2015.

Jan Scruggs was appointed Chairman of the National Appeals Board for Selective Service by President Obama on July 3,2012.

In 1983, Scruggs received the Samuel S Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under, an award given annually by Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

In 1985, Jan Scruggs published a memoir titled To Heal a Nation.