The Citizenship Trust has been charged by the Veterans Living Legacy Act with the responsibility to develop a nationally-significant veterans shrine to tell the stories of as many Alabama veterans as possible who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

The Veterans Legacy act was passed unanimously last year so that the memory of Alabama's veterans -- in every generation who have answered the call to service and sacrifice for the cause of liberty -- may be remembered and passed on to new generations.

A Joint Committee previously set the goal to establish the "Arlington of the Southeast" -- adjoining Alabama's new National Veterans Cemetery. The National Cemetery is designed to serve as the sacred burial ground for 200,000 veterans. Because United States VA cemeteries no longer have visitor exhibit facilities to showcase veterans and their service, the Citizenship Trust is charged to develop a facility to welcome tens of thousands of public and school visitors and present the names, photos, and stories of as many Alabama veterans as possible, as well as those currently serving our country in the Armed Forces.

Last year when the National Cemetery was dedicated, the United States Under Secretary for Veterans Affairs William F. Tuerk said the Cemetery and the adjoining American Village were "hallowed ground". He said the cemetery would hold the remains of American heroes, and that the Citizenship Trust and American Village would keep alive the remarkable legacy on liberty on which our country was founded.

National studies continue to demonstrate that students throughout the country are receiving an inadequate education of American history and civics. In addition to honoring hundreds of thousands of veterans, the Legacy act mandates teaching youth the "vital lessons of liberty" -- that freedom is not free -- as a foundation for preparing young people to be better citizens and to uphold the Constitutional principles of liberty, self-government, and responsibility on which the country was founded.

The Legislature has designated a 50 cent fee on each four-year driver license (12.5 cents per year) to go only for this program.

In comments on Independence Day, the Director of the Citizenship Trust said that "...it has been well noted that the defense of liberty requires more than the pursuit of happiness. Alabama has the opportunity with the Veterans Legacy Act to demonstrate to the Nation that not only are we proud and not ashamed of our country, we recognize that we have freedom only because of the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, and because of patriotic service and sacrifice of our veterans in every generation."

For more information on how hundreds of thousands of veterans will be showcase through photos, names, and stories as part of the Veterans Living Legacy, please write Citizenship Trust - Veterans Legacy Project, P. O. Box 6, Montevallo, AL 35115.