"From Those Who Care"

Indian Warriors and Their Brothers: The Viet-Nam Era Veterans

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Erected by the Indigenous People of America, the “Indian Warriors and Their Brothers” Memorial honors the Native Americans who fought for the U.S. during the Vietnam War. The marker can be found in Section 8 of the Arlington National Cemetery just across from the Coast Guard memorial on Patton Drive. The plaque on a stone marker reads: “Dedicated to our Indian warriors and their brothers who have served us so well: the Viet-Nam era veterans. We are honored to remember you.” The memorial from indigenous people for indigenous Vietnam veterans is unique in this section of Arlington Cemetery, although numerous other memorials are nearby. 

The memorial is visible from Patton Drive amongst numerous other memorials and tombstones of similar size.  A chain separating fence is just to the left, two trees framing the approach.  The red framing of the plaque stands out amongst the granite. For a closer look, walking on grass up a slight hill is required. Visitors to Arlington National Cemetery may not be specifically looking for this memorial, but upon seeing it will be reminded of the sacrifices of indigenous veterans and their families during the Vietnam era. 

-Celina Harris, HIST 300

First Marine Division Association

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

The First Marine Division Association Memorial opened on September 4, 2011 in Arlington National Cemetery.  A granite stone marker in front of a Blue Atlas Cedar memorial tree commemorates the  1st Marine Division , which served in World War II, North China, Korea, Vietnam, Southwest Asia, and the Cold War. On the marker, these wars and locations are listed along with the 1st Marine Division insignia and the Marine motto “Semper Fidelis.” The 1st Marine Division insignia, in blue and red, stands out amongst the gray granite. 

In Vietnam, the 1st Marine Division served in Quang Tin and Quang Ngai provinces. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, they successfully defended every assault and earned the Division’s seventh and eighth Presidential Unit Citations. There are two other Vietnam memorials nearby: the Americal Division Memorial and The Vietnamese Airborne Division and Their Advisors Memorial. 

Visitors can expect to find the marker by a tree off the path in Section 25 on Jessup Drive on the right when traveling north. The First Marine Division Association Memorial is one of 140 other memorials or markers in the Arlington National Cemetery that are dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the U.S.

-Zackary Vogel, HIST 300

101st Airborne Division

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

The memorial to the 101st Airborne Division, known as the “Screaming Eagles,” is a four-sided granite pillar listing the division’s awards and offensive operations since World War I surrounded by a curved stone wall. A “Screaming Eagle” sculpture sits atop the pillar, wings outstretched and beak open. The division’s insignia, a white eagle on a black background below “101st Airborne” in yellow, frames each side of the pillar. The wall contains information about specific units within the 101st including their campaigns and locations. The unit is still active and the memorial is occasionally updated. An inscription for the service of 265th Rangers Reconnaissance Company (Airborne) in Vietnam, a tactical intelligence unit, was added in 2005 on the lower back of the wall in tribute to their shadow operations from 1967-1972. The site stands on the right-hand side of Memorial Drive on the approach to the Military Women’s Memorial on Schley Drive. On the pillar facing Memorial Drive is Major General William C. Lee’s 1942 quote: “The 101st … has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny.” 

The 101st Airborne Division is a unit of the U.S. Army known for its tactical prowess over almost a century of distinguished service. The 101st arrived in Vietnam in 1965 and quickly became one of the most feared organizations on the battlefield. Fighting in every area of the country, they earned the nickname “Nomads of Vietnam.” The last division to leave Vietnam, the 101st Division participated in forty-five military operations and earned seventeen Medals of Honor in seven years. Their successes came at the cost of 4,011 soldiers killed in action and another 18,259 wounded. 

Along the curved wall are the Areas of Action in the Republic of Vietnam: Phan Rang, Tuy Hoa, Quin Nhon, Phan Thiet Hue, Song Be, Dak To, An Kne, A Shau Valley, Thua Thein, Dong Ap Bia, Vinh Loc, Quang Tri, Phouc Yen, Mia Loc, Bach Ma, and Firebases Ripcord, Currahee, Airborne, and Birmingham. 

199th Light Infantry Brigade

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

The 199th Light Infantry Brigade Marker is a low granite stone with a metal plaque depicting a group of soldiers walking with guns under helicopter cover in Vietnam. The brigades' insignia, an arrow with symmetrical red and yellow flames, is carved on the upper righthand corner. An inscription on the bottom left reads, “In honor of the Redcatchers for their sacrifice and selfless dedication to duty in the Republic of Vietnam, 1966-1970. They shall remain a steadfast example in the hearts of their fellow soldiers and countrymen.” The marker rests below a memorial tree just off of Roosevelt Drive in Section 31 of Arlington National Cemetery between Weeks Drive and Eisenhower Drive.

The 199th Light Infantry Brigade was formed in 1966 with a focus on counterinsurgency and mobility, and served in Vietnam until 1970. The brigade became known as “the Redcatachers” for its mission objective–to seek out and destroy communist cadres. It took part in eleven military campaigns, and the unit deployed to Sông Bé, defending Long Binh Post during the 1968 Tet Offensive. They helped defend the area surrounding Saigon and moved into the Iron Triangle in 1970 before deactivation later that year. Seven hundred fifty-five of its members were killed in action and another 4,679 wounded, and nine missing. 

Chaplains Hill

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

 Chaplains Hill  refers to the four stone markers standing side by side in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 254 chaplains across various faiths who were killed in the line of duty. The memorial can be found on Grant Drive near McClellan Drive and is surrounded by the burials of religious leaders in service to the armed forces. The stone panels are roughly six feet tall and similar in style to each other yet distinct, appearing as oversized headstones in the landscape. Each stone panel is affixed with a metal plaque and a religious quote honoring the particular faith and service of the chaplains listed below. The first installation, dedicated in 1926, recognized all US Army chaplains who died in World War I. The second honors Protestant chaplains in World War I and World War II, having been moved to its current site from the Memorial Chapel in Washington D.C. in 1981. 

Two of the markers highlight service in the Vietnam War. The Catholic marker, adorned with a crucifix, was installed in 1989 and lists the chaplains who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The Jewish marker is adorned with the Star of David and the Ten Commandments flanked by lions, and includes fourteen rabbis killed in active duty before its installation in 2011.  

From the Jewish marker on Chaplains Hill,  Rabbi Meir Engel, USAF (16 December 1964)  and  Rabbi Morton H. Singer, USA (17 December 1968)  died in Vietnam. 

From the Catholic marker on Chaplains Hill, the following seven men died in the Vietnam Conflict:  William J. Barragy ,  Robert R. Brett ,  Vincent R. Capodonno ,  William J. Garrity ,  Aloysious P. McGonigal ,  Michael J. Quealy , and  Charles J. Watters . 

Jumping Mustangs

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

At the base of a memorial tree sits a granite stone with metal plaque in honor of the Jumping Mustangs, the 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry of the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division.  The dedication reads, “to all the skytroopers who served in the battalion during the Vietnam Era 1965-1971. It stands as a memorial to sacrifices in battle and a tangible symbol of our heritage.” Beneath is their motto “Honor and Courage-Drive on, all the way!” In each of the plaque’s four corners are symbols related to the unit’s service. The top left holds the Jumping Mustangs insignia, a yellow coat of arms with a diagonal sash and horse head. The top right has the Parachutist Badge, a parachute with wings. The bottom left has the Combat Infantryman Badge, a rifle in a box outline and a horseshoe branch in the background. The bottom right has the crossed musket, a signal of the infantry. Together they represent the service, sacrifice, and comradery of the Jumping Mustangs. 

The tree, a Kwanzan Japanese Flowering Cherry, planted in 1990 at the memorial’s installment, has grown to create a shady point of remembrance for all visitors. The tree and marker sit off of Roosevelt Drive in Arlington National Cemetery.  To find the plaque, visitors should take the northern paths leading towards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier off of Roosevelt Drive (close to Wilson Drive). As the stone wall rises on the left side of the path, the Jumping Mustangs tree will be off the paved path about twenty feet to the right. Visitors with accessibility aides can navigate the roadway and paved path without stairs, although viewing the plaque requires moving across grass. 

Khe Sanh Veterans

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

At the base of a ginkgo tree on Roosevelt Drive in Arlington National Cemetery, on the right as visitors move away from the Potomac River, lies a memorial plaque to the Khe Sanh Veterans. The plaque is immediately adjacent to the roadway just behind the low fencing. Dedicated on July 2, 1993, the memorial reads in part, “Remember all who served ◊ sacrificed … We are eternally bonded.” Along with the U.S. Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis,” the plaque contains the insignia of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Great Seal of the United States. Specifically mentioned are the 1967 Hill Fights and 1968 Siege, also known as the Battle of Khe Sanh, although U.S. military presence in the area spanned from 1961 to 1971. At Khe Sanh, six thousand U.S. Marines and their South Vietnamese counterparts endured a 77-day siege in which 20,000 North Vietnamese fighters encircled the combat base. American air support developed a risky resupply effort which finally allowed the allies to break through, an experience which created an enduring bond between the fighters. All Khe Sanh veterans are included in the memorial’s remembrance with a specific focus to Marine Corps veterans.

Vietnam War Helicopter Pilots and their Crewmembers Memorial

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Dedicated in 2018, the  Vietnam War Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument  joined a memorial red maple tree dedicated in 2015 to honor helicopter service in Southeast Asia from 1961 to 1975. Roughly 3,000 veterans and family members attended the unveiling after veterans led a four-year grassroots effort to establish a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. The two and a half foot squared granite marker has a rough hewn base supporting a smooth angled face. On the front edge are the insignia of each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. The inscription reads, “In honored memory of the helicopter pilots and crewmembers who gave the full measure of devotion to their nation in the Vietnam War.” Above the inscription is an image of a UH-1 helicopter with a pilot and crewmember inside the open door. The “Huey,” the more common moniker for the UH-1, was central to operations in Vietnam. U.S. and South Vietnamese troops relied heavily on helicopter transportation, air support, and medical evaluation among other capabilities. Of the over 4,800 helicopter pilots and crew members killed in action in Vietnam, over 300 are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 

Vietnamese Rangers and Their American Ranger Advisors

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

The marker to the Vietnamese Rangers sits on Farragut Drive in Arlington National Cemetery, just west of the intersection where Wilson Avenue becomes Memorial Drive. The stone panel sits at the base of a magnolia tree about a foot from the road and is easily identifiable by the plaque’s red background. The gold inscriptions stand out and allow the visitors to appreciate the imagery. Below the word “Ranger” in an arched outline is a dedication “In memory of all Vietnamese Rangers and their American Ranger Advisors, 1960-1975. Their patriotism, valor and fidelity in the defense of freedom must never be forgotten.” Four iconographic symbols frame the edges of the plaque: the Vietnamese Ranger insignia (bottom left), Ranger Qualification Badge (top left), Ranger Beret Flash (top right), and a scroll indicating the Vietnamese Ranger Infantry Battalion (bottom right).  At the bottom in Vietnamese and English is the phrase “Biet Dong Quan Sat (Rangers Lead the Way).” 

Trained by the American Special Forces, the Vietnamese Ranger Corp was activated in 1960 originally as a counter-insurgency unit. It later expanded to light infantry operations and border defense. Their capabilities led the Rangers to be one of the Republic of Vietnam’s most effective units, operating independently often with an assigned American advisor. Forced to surrender with the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, many Ranger leaders faced harsh treatment under communist rule.

A group of veteran Vietnamese Rangers and American advisors gathered on November 12, 1995 in Arlington to dedicate the memorial and honor their unique partnership. 

Arlington County War Memorial

Arlington, Virginia

The Arlington County War Memorial consists of multiple metal panels in memory of those who gave their lives in various conflicts. The panels occupy four sides of a stone monument, providing contemplative areas in front of each list of service members. The entire monument lies on a raised grass platform with stone walls and two cannons facing towards the park on either side of steps leading up to the monument. Atop the stone monument is a ball and metal eagle statue. The monument itself dates to 1931, with stone moved from its original location inside Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington Post 139 and Auxiliary Unit 139 American Legion and the Citizens of Arlington County joined together to fund and erect the monument which now stands on the corner of Clarendon Park where it meets Washington Boulevard. The monument is highly visible to vehicle traffic and easily accessible by wheelchair, although reading the names requires navigating the steps onto the monument.

Arlington County Vietnam veterans inscribed on the monument include:

 Angle, Peter J. ;  Bohrer, Leroy P. ;  Bowlin, Paul M. ;  Bove, Roger G. ;  Browning, Perry N. ;  Byrd, George E .;  Campbell, Keith A .;  Castelda, Andrew T. ;  Cressel, Terry W. ;  Deverall, George N. ;  Faught, William A. Jr. ;  Field, Michael F .;  Fleming, Thomas R .;  Fulcher, John H. ;  Ginn, James M. ;  Grimes, John L .;  Hall, Blucher R. ;  Hammerbeck, Edward C. ;  Harrison, Daniel W. ;  Hayes, Thomas J. IV ;  Hoagland, Jeffrey K. ;  Hollifield, Roger D. ;  Hood, James G. ;  Howard, Harley M. ;  Hoy, Robert E. ;  Hunter, James D. ;  Jones, Raymond P. ;  Jones, Robert H. O. ;  Kellas, Robert L. ;  Kramer, Stephen A. ;  Krimont, Nicholas ;  Larson, Gary W .;  Lattimore, Charles, Jr. ;  Lotridge, Charles W .;  McKibbin, Hugh R., JR. ;  McLarson, Thomas T. ;  Miller, John E. ;  Nixon, John A. ;  Pascoe, Robert E .;  Remeikas, Joseph J., Jr. ;  Risinger, Paul W. ;  Slaughter, William S. ;  Smith, Rodney H .;  Snead, Leonard H., Jr. ;  Stancil, Gregory H. ;  Sticher, John T ;  Tolley, Lee G. ;  Tully, Robert E. ;  Webster, David ;  Whikehart, Mark A. ;  Williams, David M. ;  Williamson, David T .

Marker at Arlington Courthouse

Arlington, Virginia

The Vietnam War Historical Marker located at Arlington Courthouse was erected in 2019 by Arlington County. It was created to honor local veterans and acknowledge their sacrifices and efforts in the Vietnam War; those identified on the marker were all killed in action. Vietnam is represented by a simple black granite plaque, which symbolizes the solemn nature of the war and its impact on those who served and on the nation. Visitors can expect a peaceful, quiet, and reflective space where they can read inscriptions about the role Arlington played in the war, American perceptions of the war, Arlington's distinction as the location of the largest anti-war rally in the U.S., and brief descriptions of four local soldiers who died in Vietnam.

The four men killed are:  Private First Class Nicholas Krimont ,  Lance Corporal Raymond Parker Jones ,  Sergeant Stephen Arthur Kramer , and  Second Lieutenant John William Kennedy .

Vietnam occupies a bifold interpretive panel, joining bifold panels for the Global War on Terror, Korean War, World War II, and World War I markers. Nearby, there is also the American Legion Memorial of Arlington and the Arlington County War Memorial.

-Aya Ajoc, HIST 205

Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia

Department of Historic Resources (DHR) Marker, Falls Church, Virginia

Erected in 2021, this DHR plaque shares the history of Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia. Thousands of Vietnamese refugees came to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon in 1975, many of them settling near this marker in a neighborhood near Clarendon that became known as Little Saigon. Over 120 shops and restaurants made this area one of the largest markets for Vietnamese goods on the East Coast, supplying the refugees and their families with cultural touchpoints and remembrances of family left behind. Many of the original shops relocated to the Eden Center, also founded by Vietnamese-Americans, in the 1980s in response to rising rental costs.

The marker stands in testament to the lives affected by the Vietnam War, the lives restarted in Northern Virginia, and their impact on the local community, economy, and culture of Arlington. Visible from Wilson Boulevard, it is situated amongst some remaining Vietnamese businesses.

Vietnam War Memorial

Alexandria, Virginia

The Veterans of Foreign Wars  dedicated the Vietnam Memorial plaque  to honor “all from the City of Alexandria who served and died in the Vietnam War.” The plaque joins a Veterans Memorial, Alexandria War Memorial, World War I Memorial, Alexandria in the Civil War, and other markers for historic events in the vicinity. Immediately behind Alexandria’s train station in a triangular space, the location is highly accessible and visible to commuters and visitors to the historic district. The recent addition in 2024 shows a continued commitment to the keeping the Vietnam War in public memory. The Veterans Memorial is a tall pillar with a cross on top and marks the location for the other plaques. The Vietnam Memorial is towards the hill opposite the train station. It includes a black plaque with the dedication in bronze on top of a granite stone roughly six inches off the ground. Displayed in alphabetical order in two columns, the plaque identifies sixty-eight Alexandrians who died in Vietnam:

 Paul M. Bayliss ;  Douglas R. Blodgett ;  Ray B. Browne ;  Robert W. Clirehugh, Jr .;  George B. Colgan III ;  Ross W. Collins, Jr. ;  Raymond L. Conway ;  Robert W. Cupp ;  Joseph E. Davies ;  Robert W. Dean ;  James W. Dickey ;  Bernard G.J. Dillenseger ;  Morgan J. Donahue ;  Charles H. Elliott, Jr .;  Richard H. Freudenthal ;  Thomas M. Gaither ;  Darrell L. Gibbons ;  Donald W. Gill, Jr .;  Bruce E. Graham ;  Richard T. Gray ;  Cleveland R. Harvey ;  Richard W. Hoffler ;  Kermit W. Holland, Jr .;  William D. Holmes ;  Wayne L. Jordan ;  Herman L. Judy, Jr .;  Paul R. Karas ;  Michael J. Keberline ;  Michael J. Kilduff ;  James E. King ;  Henry A. Ledford ;  David A. Lerner ;  Lawrence E. Lilly ;  George B. Lockhart ;  Michael E. Ludwig ;  Phillip N. Malone ;  Tschann S. Mashburn ;  Leland S. McCants III ;  Michael J. McCarron ;  Kevin C. McElhannon, Jr .;  Frank Meszar III ;  Kenneth E. Norris ;  Brian J. O'Callaghan ;  Clarence M. Overbay, Jr. ;  Henry L. Page III ;  Ralph B. Pappas ;  Joseph L. Powell, Jr. ;  Harry F. Richardson, Jr .;  Kenneth R. Sawyer ;  Joseph C. Shartzer ;  Johnny J. Smith ;  Henry M. Spengler III ;  Lewis L. Stone ;  Charles L. Suthard, Jr .;  Michael O. Thomas ;  Matthew W. Thornton ;  Foster J. G. Touart, Jr .;  Jeron F. Valentine ;  Humbert R. Versace ;  Robert J. Walters ;  David J. Warczak ;  James C. Ward ;  Ronald W. Ward ;  Henry L. Warner III ;  Robert E. Whitbeck ;  Raymond L. Williams ;  John A. Winkler ;  Carl L. Young 

Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Alexandria, Virginia

Captain Rocky Versace’s name and legacy live on through the circular entrance to the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center. The stone paved plaza is ringed with bench seating, surrounding a statue of a man with two children. On the ground, circling the figures, is a poem: My son is * was * he often did * does * his eyes are * were* brown. As visitors approach the plaza, an interpretive plaque stands to the left to tell the story of  Captain Humbert Roque “Rocky” Versace  and his 23-month resistance as the senior officer in a Viet Cong prisoner of war camp. His family, service members, and local residents worked for years to honor his memory. Shortly after the plaza dedication, President George W. Bush posthumously awarded Versace the Medal of Honor, and Versace was later inducted into the Department of Defense’s Wall of Heroes in the Pentagon.

The son of a soldier, Versace entered the military and volunteered to be an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army in 1962. He was captured two weeks before his return home, and his story is told both at the memorial and in the memoir of a fellow POW  James N. “Nick” Rowe  in Five Years to Freedom.  The Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial includes the name of sixty-dight servicemen who died or are still MIA in Vietnam from Alexandria.

 Paul M Bayliss ;  Douglas Randolph Blodgett ;  Ray B Browne ;  Robert W Clirehugh Jr. ;  George Burton Colgan III ;  Ross Willard Collins Jr ;  Raymond Lester Conway ;  Robert William Cupp ;  Joseph Edwin Davies ;  Robert William Dean ;  James Wheeler Dickey ;  Bernard Guy J Dillenseger ;  Morgan Jefferson Donahue ;  Charles Henry Elliott Jr ;  Richard Holt Freudenthal ;  Thomas Mark Gaither ;  Darrell Lee Gibbons ;  Donald Wade Gill Jr. ;  Bruce Elliott Graham ;  Richard Tenney Gray ;  Cleveland Ray Harvey ;  Richard William Hoffler ;  Kermit W Holland ;  William David Holmes ;  Wayne Lamont Jordan ;  Herman L Judy Jr ;  Paul Richard Karas ;  Michael John Keberline ;  Michael John Kilduff ;  James Edward King ;  Henry Alverson Ledford ;  David Atwood Lerner ;  Lawrence Eugene Lilly ;  George Barry Lockhart ;  Michael Eugene Ludwig ;  Philip Newman Malone ;  Tschann Scott Mashburn ;  Leland S McCants III ;  Michael Joseph McCarron ;  Kevin C McElhannon Jr ;  Frank Meszar III ;  Kenneth Earl Norris ;  Brian Joseph O'Callaghan ;  Clarence M Overbay Jr ;  Henry Lindsay Page III ;  Ralph Byron Pappas ;  Joseph Lewis Powell Jr ;  Harry F Richardson Jr ;  Kenneth Robert Sawyer ;  Joseph Clarence Shartzer ;  Johnny Jerome Smith ;  Henry M Spengler III ;  Lewis Lynn Stone ;  Charles Lee Suthard Jr ;  Michael Oliver Thomas ;  Matthew Winston Thornton ;  Foster Jewell G Touart Jr ;  Jeron Franklin Valentine ;  Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace ;  Robert James Walters ;  David James Warczak ;  James Clinton Ward ;  Ronald Wayne Ward ;  Henry Luke Warner III ;  Robert Earl Whitbeck ;  Raymond Leroy Williams ;  John Anthony Winkler ;  Carl L Young 

For more information, see the City of Alexandria's  website .

Vietnam War Memorial 1957-1975

Fairfax, Virginia

This memorial commemorates Fairfax County servicemen who died in the Vietnam War. These veterans are honored in the form of a large Vermont granite stone with a bronze plaque inscribed with a list of their names. This memorial began by honoring Fairfax County Veterans who died in World War I at its dedication on June 26, 1926 outside the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse. Over time, three additional plaques were added to the other sides of the monument; one commemorating the local veterans of the Vietnam War, one for World War II and the Korean Conflict, and in 2017 one for the American Revolution. This memorial was dedicated by the Fairfax County Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, American Legion Post 177, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8469. The Vietnam War plaque lists the names of 144 soldiers who died during the Vietnam War between 1957 and 1975.

 Balzer, Michael A. ;  Barone, Sandro N. ;  Beauchamp, Ernest M. ;  Bessor, Bruce C. ;  Blair, Thomas G., Jr. ;  Blodgett, Douglas R. ;  Bonnet, C. Christopher ;  Brown, Charles E., Jr. ;  Browne, Ray B. ;  Buckley, Victor P. ;  Byrne, Paul R. ;  Carkin, Harvey M. ;  Caton, Gerald L. ;  Chaney, Arthur F. ;  Cole, Randall E. ;  Colgan, George B., III ;  Collins, Ross W., Jr. ;  Consolvo, John W., Jr. ;  Conway, Raymond L. ;  Cross, Frank W. ;  Cross, Frederick W. ;  Cupp, Robert W. ;  Davies, Joseph E. ;  Dean, Robert W. ;  Dickey, James W. ;  Dillenseger, Bernard G., Jr. ;  Donahue, Morgan J. ;  Donnell, Peter F. ;  Dunham Bruce J. ;  Eads, Walter T. ;  Elliott, Charles H., Jr. ;  Feagan, Michael J. ;  Finch, Melvin W. ;  Fowler, Roy G. ;  Franks, Ernest R. ;  Freudenthal, Richard H. ;  Gaither, Thomas M. ;  Gibbons, Darrell L. ;  Gill, Donald W. Jr. ;  Gosselin, Robert J. ;  Graham, Bruce E. ;  Graham, William R. ;  Gray, Richard T. ;  Grayson, Welby H., III ;  Green, Martin L., Jr. ;  Gunter, Calvin D. ;  Harvey, Cleveland R. ;  Hawkins, Johnny L. ;  Heriot, Theodore S., Jr. ;  Hoffler, Richard W. ;  Holdaway, Guy ;  Holland, Kermit W., Jr. ;  Holmes, William D. ;  Honse, George E. ;  Jenkins, John A. V., III ;  Johnson, Bernard L., II ;  Johnson, Lorenzo R. ;  Jordan, Wayne L. ;  Judy, Herman L., Jr. ;  Karas, Paul R.;   Keberline, Michael J. ;  Kidwell, Wayne M. ;  Kilduff, Michael J. ;  King, James E. ;  King, Lyell F. ;  Ledford, Henry A. ;  Leichliter, Vyrl E., Jr. ;  Lerner, David A. ;  Levendis, William M. ;  Lewis, Robert R. ;  Lilly, Lawrence E. ;  Lockhart, George B. ;  Ludwig, Michael E. ;  Lyberger, Arden R. ;  MacLeod, Sidney B., Jr. ;  Malone, Philip N. ;  Mashburn, Tschann S. ;  McCants, Leland S., III ;  McCarron, Michael J. ;  McDonald, Robert F., II ;  McElhannon, Kevin C., Jr. ;  McNulty, Charles R. ;  Messer, Thomas H. ;  Monette, Neal E. ;  Moore, Donald R., Jr. ;  Mull, Gerald C. ;  Nadeau, Roland H. ;  Ninow, William C. ;  Norris Kenneth E. ;  O'Callaghan, Brian J. ;  Overbay, Clarence M., Jr. ;  Page, Henry L., III ;  Pardee, Scott K. ;  Payne, Darnell M. ;  Bayliss, Paul M. ;  Peppin, David D., Jr. ;  Perry, George E., III ;  Powell, Joseph L., Jr. ;  Prochaska, Willard F. ;  Regan, Thomas F. ;  Richardson, Harry F., Jr. ;  Riek, Jeffry R. ;  Robinson, Bruce E. ;  Robinson, James W., Jr., CMH ;  Rohlinger, Joseph E. ;  Rose, Harry Q. ;  Rumble, Jon M. ;  Rush, Joseph B. ;  Sawyer, Kenneth R. ;  Schlie, Kenneth M. ;  Scurlock, Allen G. ;  Shartzer, Joseph C. ;  Shelton, Leslie L. ;  Sigholtz, Robert H., Jr. ;  Simon, Donald R. ;  Smith, Johnny J. ;  Spengler, Henry M., III ;  Steward, Jerry W. ;  Stone, Lewis L. ;  Strickler, David F. ;  Stuller, John C. ;  Sullivan, Michael N. ;  Supinger, Claude C. ;  Suthard, Charles L., Jr. ;  Sutton, William J. ;  Taft, Philip J. ;  Thomas, Michael O. ;  Thornton, Matthew W. ;  Thruston, Robert R., III ;  Touart, Foster J. G., Jr. ;  Toward, Ronald J. ;  Umholtz, Darrell R. ;  Valentine, Jeron F. ;  Warczak, David J. ;  Ward, James C. ;  Ward, Ronald W. ;  Weiss, Richard E. ;  Whitbeck, Robert E. ;  White, Daniel W. ;  Whitmire, Warren T., Jr. ;  Williams, Raymond L. ;  Winkler, John A. ;  Wolfe, Hiram M., IV ;  Young, Carl, L. 

-Griffin Williams, HIST 300

F-100 Super Sabre Society

Chantilly, Virginia

Along the entrance walkway to the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly is a series of informational and memorial panels. The metal panels emulate aircraft exteriors with each section adhered using rivets and curved away from the visitor as if the information was etched on the side of an airplane. Two of the panels discuss aerial involvement in the Vietnam War although the collective overall focus is on aerial history rather than military service. The F-100 Super Sabre Society tells and preserves the history of the F-100, the first jet capable of level and straight supersonic flight used by the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard from 1954 to 1972.  “Hun drivers” as the pilots called themselves (“Hun” short for “Hundred”) provided close air support for ground troops in Vietnam and engaged with Russian MiGs as early as 1965. The “Misty” mission, named after their radio call sign, improved communication and results along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Distinguished Flying Cross panel, awarded since 1924 to military and civilian aviators for exceptional aerial achievement, includes a list of all recipients. Over two hundred awardees died in active service during the Vietnam War.

In Honor of the Loudoun Citizens

Leesburg, Virginia

The Vietnam War Memorial in Leesburg is a stone cenotaph located on the grass of the Leesburg courthouse and is entitled In Honor of The Loudoun Citizens Who Served in Vietnam and in Memory Of Those Who Died. The Vietnam War Memorial is to the right as visitors approach the courthouse, and was dedicated on Veterans Day 1988. This memorial is to commemorate the Loudoun County citizens who served in the Vietnam War, as well as those who did not make it back home to their families. It joins a similar memorial to those who died in World War I at the center of the walkway and a memorial to those who died in World War II and Korea on the left. The Vietnam inscription faces East Market Street while a later inscription facing the courthouse is In Honor of Loudoun Citizens Who Served in the Fighting Forces of our Great Nation In the Cause of Peace with the names of local men who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the stone the following names are remembered from the Vietnam War:  Welby H. Grayson III , Richard B. Grigsby,  Jack Harris Jr .,  David F. Helms ,  Leonard W. Kidd ,  Francis E. Manuel,   Weyland F. McCauley Jr .,  Ralph W. Milbourne ,  Richard S. Pohl ,  Gregory M. Howard ,  David A. Russell , and  Charles E. Peters .

-Ina Peev, HIST 205

Vietnam Memorial

Falls Church, Virginia

Erected in 2012 as a part of an Eagle Scout Project by Troop 821, the memorial in Falls Church consists of a stone faced with a metal plaque on the grounds of the local VFW Post 9274. It is visible from Shreve Road but low to the ground between the parking lot and a flagpole flying the American and POW-MIA flags. The stone marker joins a memorial to  David F. Strickler , who was killed in action during Vietnam and awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, at the base of the flagpole. The two memorials focus attention on the Vietnam War towards Shreve Road.  On the other side of the building stands a more general Veterans Memorial in the form of a mural to the right of the front door.

The Vietnam Memorial reads in part: “This memorial commemorates all those brave men and women who served in Vietnam. All those brave men and women who fought and perished, served and went missing, and to those who came back to a country that is forever indebted to their service."

POW-MIA You Are Not Forgotten 1957-1975

Winchester, Virginia

At the base of the American, Virginian, and POW-MIA flags stands a dark granite monument roughly six feet tall and eight feet wide. Written on its face are an outline of the state with a star for the city of Winchester and “POW-MIA Vietnam 1959-1975, You Are Not Forgotten.” Above the outline are the names of servicemen who were either a prisoner of war or missing in action during the Vietnam War. The stone is the central monument on a paved pavilion in Jim Barnett Park, easily accessible via wheelchair and visible from the internal park road. A pedestrian crossing leads directly to the memorial, with plantings in a circle for contemplation and picnic tables under tree canopy to the right.

Dedicated by the Virginia Chapter of Rolling Thunder Inc., the entrance to the pavilion has additional stone markers dedicated “to those who will never be forgotten” and benches recognizing POW-MIAs from other conflicts. Every angle of the eighty-foot circle provides a remembrance of Vietnam POW-MIAs. Those declared dead are marked with a diamond.

On the central monument are their names:  Roger E. Wilson ◇;  Dallas Alan Driver ;  Anthony John Pepper ;  Benjamin B. Newsom ◇;  Cecil Carrington Perkins ;  Bruce Carleton Bessor;   Donald Roberts Ashby, Sr. ;  Vincent Calvin Scott, Jr. ;  Charles Edward Blair ◇;  Joseph Edwin Davies;   Leonard Murry Lee ◇;  Dewey Allen Midgett ;  Frank Ray Compton ;  Lee D. Harley ;  Douglas Randolph Blodgett ;  Dwight Pollard Bowles ;  Henry Mershon Spengler ◇;  Everett Alvin McPherson;   John Anthony Winkler ;  Fred Taylor ;  George William Clarke, Jr. ;  Harvey Mulhauser ;  Henry Lee Blackburn ◇;  John Wadswort Consolvo, Jr. ;  Jack Paris Dove, Sr. ◇;  James David Roark ;  Douglas Glenn Burd ;  Humbert Roque Versace ;  Jimmy M. Malone ;  Arthur Fletcher Chaney ◇;  John Charles Stuller ;  Alan Brent Boffman ◇;  Marshall Joseph Angell ;  John W. Kennedy ◇;  Billy Kennedy Evans, Jr.;   Lawrence Randolph Booth ;  Richard Leigh Butt ◇;  Leland S. McCants, III ;  Charles C. Parish;   Wade Lynn Ellen ;  Melvin W. Finch ◇;  Robert Mack Brown ◇;  Orvin C. Jones. Jr.;   Walter Kosko ;  Paul Anthony Gregory  ;  David Leo Cooley ;  Peter Charles Forame ;  William David Pruett ;  Robert D. Owen ;  Edward Ray Dodge;   Robert R. Greenwood, Jr. ;  Morgan Jefferson Donahue ;  Ronald Lee Holtzman;   Jefferson Scott Dotson ◇;  Roy G. Fowler ;  Victor Patrick Buckley;   Warren T. Whitmire, Jr. ;  Walter Boyd ◇;  Paul Vernon Jackson, III;   Melvin D. Rash ◇;  Oscar Branch Weston, Jr. ;  Robert Clifton Edmunds, Jr. ◇;  Robert E. Bernhardt ◇

American Legion Post 77

Strasburg, Virginia

On the exterior wall of the American Legion Shenandoah Post 77 building in Strasburg are four plaques in honor of veterans. On the corner of the building facing the road is a plaque for “AMERICAN LEGION-1949” in reference to the owner of the building and the organization. Another “DEDICATED TO THE VETERANS OF WORLD WARS I AND II” is just beneath.  To the right of the main entrance are the two other memorials. One reads “IN HONOR OF ALL VETERANS WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY SINCE 1975” and the other reads “DEDICATED TO THE VETERANS OF THE KOREAN AND VIETNAM WARS-1967.”  Each plaque is in marble, about one foot by two foot and from hip to eye height. The plaques are visible from the road although reading them requires standing on the sidewalk. There is parking in front of the building and a slight incline due to the region’s mountains.

Warren County Monument

Front Royal, Virginia 

The Warren County Korea and Vietnam Memorial in Front Royal is a semi-circular brick wall featuring plaques erected by Warren County citizens in 1983. The monument is outside the Warren County Courthouse, but not immediately visible from the road as to provide a place for quiet reflection. The inscription on the plaque reads: “This monument is dedicated to those who made the supreme sacrifice during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.” It then lists fourteen local residents who lost their lives in the Vietnam War from 1964-1975:  Thomas S. Clem ,  Larry E. Curry ,  Charles WM. Davis , Samuel C. Jenkins,  Dale L. Johnson ,  Roger G. Kidwell ,  Tilgham McLemore ,  Delaney E. Miller ,  Phillip E. Pennington ,  Donald K. Powell ,  William T. Rector ,  Joseph L. Seekford Jr , Gary Sours, and  Samuel C. Tharpe .

Two additional plaques on the monument honor Warren Country Congressional Medal of Honor recipients:  Marine Lance Corporal Larry E. Smedley , killed in Quang Nam Province in 1967 at the age of 18, and  Captain Wesley L. Fox , a First Lieutenant of the U.S. Marine Corps. Fox was wounded in Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam in 1969. 

The Town of Front Royal has a number of memorial markers on the grounds of the Courthouse. Located at the intersection of Front Royal Avenue and Main Street, the grassy area with paved pathways is wheelchair accessible. Other memorials include the Warren County World War I and II Memorial, Warren County Confederate Memorial, the Warren County 9/11 Memorial, and the Revolutionary War Memorial, all of which are within walking distance of each other. 

-Azucena Rios, HIST 300

The Piedmont Area Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Culpeper, Virginia

The Piedmont Area Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Culpeper is "the pride and joy of Chapter #752 of the Vietnam Veterans of America." For sixteen years, Gold Star mother Margaret Prewozick organized efforts to honor soldiers from Culpeper County who were killed in the Vietnam War, including her son, Edward O. Spencer. In 1995 the local VVA chapter began assisting Prewozick. 

The black granite memorial honors the living as well as those killed in action with the inscription: “Dedicated to All Those From the Piedmont Who Served and Died in the Vietnam War 1959–1975.” After several years of fundraising and searching for an appropriate site, the memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 1998.

The memorial’s  website  includes a poem entitled “These Nineteen,” by Culpeper Vietnam veteran and VVA member Larry Hoffman. According to the website, “today the Memorial is one of the most visited sites in Culpeper. It is cared for and protected by the ones it means the most to–a mother who lost her son and a group of Vietnam Veterans looking for closure in their lives, and that's the way they want it.”

The memorial honors  Floyd B. Coates ,  Henry T. Curtis II ,  John W. Jarrell ,  Eugene R. Kritz ,  Calvin M. Minor ,  Benjamin R. Newsom ,  Donald L. Smith ,  Thomas L. Stanley ,  John R. Vrabel ,  Daniel L. Wood ,  Paul S. Colvin ,  William E. Fincham ,  Herman L. Judy Jr. ,  John C. Leonard ,  Jerry L. Moffett ,  Gary L. Reynolds ,  Edward O Spencer ,  Michael E. Stewart , and  Douglas D. Wallace .

Vietnam War Memorial

Orange, Virginia

To commemorate the brave men and women from their community who served during the Vietnam War, Orange Post 156 of the American Legion erected a plaque at the Orange County Courthouse. The marker’s inscription reads: “In honor of the men and women of Orange County, Virginia who served in the Vietnam War 1964-1975 and in memory of the seven who gave their lives.”  Below the inscription are the names of those seven:  William Mosby Clarke Jr. , Richard Hirum Estes Jr.,  William Edward Fincham , Norman Reynolds Hurst,  David Lawrence Napier ,  Gary Lee Reynolds , and  Douglas D. Wallace .  

The marker is at the intersection of West Main Street and North Madison Road (VA 25) in Orange. Located in a group of military memorials are eight other markers that commemorate World War II, World War I, the Korean War, Honoring the People of Orange County, Confederate Dead, General Zachary Taylor, Montpelier and Madison’s Tomb, and Crosthwaite Alley.  The Vietnam Memorial is on the Courthouse porch and requires navigation up the front steps, although the building itself is highly visible from the street. 

-Adam Bertrand, HIST 300

Courthouse Square War Memorial, Fallen Warriors Monument

Madison, Virginia

In front of the courthouse at Courthouse Square in Madison sits the Fallen Warriors Monument, a four sided granite obelisk honoring service members who gave their lives in combat from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Situated next to a Confederate monument, the Fallen Warriors Monument is inscribed "To All Veterans Who Honorable Served Their Country." The green lawn provides two symmetrical pathways to the courthouse. The Fallen Warriors Monument occupies the right brick pathway which is a continuation of a pedestrian walkway across South Main Street (BUS 29) and does not require navigating any stairs or steps.

The Fallen Warriors Monument was dedicated on Memorial Day 1991 with dedication speeches by retired military officers and a reading of the names of the individuals honored on the monument. The American Legion Post 157, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9865, Linn Banks Lodge #126, and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration provides for and maintains the monument. To read the names of the five local men who died in Vietnam, visitors should stand facing South Main Street with their back to the courthouse.

The fallen soldiers for Vietnam are  Floyd S. Coates ;  John Wayne Jarrell ;  John G. Leonard ; Donald M. Mallory; and  Benjamin Byrd Newsom .

Shenandoah Iron Works District War Memorial

Shenandoah, Page County, Virginia

In the front lawn of V.F.W. Post 8613 in Page County stands a smooth granite memorial with the seal for the organization's insignia in the top center, the military branch insignias on the edges, and the names of all casualties from the Shenandoah Iron Works District (a nickname originating from Shenandoah's nineteenth century iron works production). The memorial honors the memory of those “who paid the supreme sacrifice during World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam.” After listing their names, all of whom died prior to Vietnam, the memorial ends with a dedication to “all who served with pride.” The plaque is roughly six feet wide and visible from the street at the left front corner of the building and well behind a flag pole. Parking is available, although viewing the names and dedications require navigating the paved path from the front door.

The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial "The Hill That Heals"

Charlottesville, Virginia

On November 4, 1965, the first American soldier from the Charlottesville/Albemarle area died in the Vietnam War. Named Champ Jackson Lawson, Jr., Specialist Four in the U.S. Army, his death prompted Jim Shisler of the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival Board of Directors and fellow community members to construct a memorial in honor of those who would serve in the ensuing Vietnam War. Dedicated on April 20, 1966, the Dogwood Festival is the first public memorial in America erected for those who served in Vietnam. The plaza and stone walls that exist today are an altered design completed in 2015 to accommodate the design and placement of the John W. Warner Parkway adjacent to the memorial. The memorial wall contains the portraits and names of twenty-eight men who died in service. These portraits are surrounded by eight flags including the four branches of the U.S. Military, with the U.S. flag upmost in the center. Presently, the memorial sits between the 250 Bypass and the John W. Warner Parkway, north of the Downtown Mall. A paved path stemming from the parkway leads to the memorial, allowing for easy access.

Those named on the monument include:  Champ Lawson Jackson, Jr. ,  Rudolph Lee Nunn, Jr .,  Grandville Reynard Jones, Jr .,  Oscar Mauterer ,  John Devon Tyler ,  Erskine Buford Wilde ,  Thomas Dennison Grinell III ,  Walter Franklin Payne ,  Harvey Mulhauser ,  Douglas Delano Wallace ,  Charles Rudolph Milton, Jr. ,  Allen Edward Firth ,  Howard Elsie Hollar ,  Roger Mark Link ,  Carl Reed Gibson ,  Robert Edward Marshall ,  Edward Alan Lamb ,  Clyde Randolph Perry, Jr .,  Gerald Lewis Canton ,  James Marion Kardos ,  Charles King Butler ,  Robert Hoyt Ruggles ,  Richard Thomas Carter ,  Wayne Dabney McRay ,  Floyd Burnett Coates ,  Howell Frank Blakey ,  Walter Ross, Jr. , and  Wayne Shelby Craig. 

-Reese Hoffman, HIST 300

Additional information can be found on the memorial's  website .

Dogwood DHR Marker

Historic Highway Marker, Charlottesville, Virginia

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) erected this marker in 2016 on McIntire Road after a renovation to the nearby “Hill That Heals” completed in 2015. The marker is more visible from the main vehicular thoroughfare than the monument just up the hill it references. For cars stopped at the red light or persons taking advantage of the multi-use sidewalks, a description of the historic monument and its history can be read on the marker. The sign is strategically placed for maximum visibility and public awareness.

The marker must designate a site of historical significance. The Charlottesville Dogwood Festival began work on the what is believed to be the nation’s first public Vietnam veterans memorial after learning of the first local Vietnam casualty. The site was dedicated on April 20, 1966. The initial monument was renovated and expanded between 2014 and 2015.

Korean and Vietnam War Memorial

Staunton, Virginia

The front façade of the Augusta County Courthouse includes several military remembrance plaques, including the Veterans Memorial, WWI Memorial, Roll of Honor, as well as other historical markers. The Korean and Vietnam Memorial honors “Sons of Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro who made the Supreme Sacrifice.” Edged in bronze with a black background, the marker is on the far right and visually distinct from the other markers nearby. The Augusta-Staunton V.F.W. Post 2216, Stuarts Draft V.F.W. Post 9339 and Those Who Care worked together to erect the marker.

The marker faces Johnson Street, although a wheelchair navigable surface extends from the Augusta Street sidewalk. Street parking is available but limited as the marker stands in a historic downtown district. Soldiers from the Vietnam War remembered on the marker include:

 Dwight P. Bowles;   Aubrey A. Bryan ;  Creed L. Bryant ;  Franklin V. Breckenridge ;  Charles M. Collier ;  Victor L. Ellinger ;  Donald W. Falwell ;  W. Melvin Fitzgerald ;  Charles W. Garber, Jr. ;  William Edward Hawkins ;  Jerry H. Heizer ;  William W. Henderson ;  Charles Robert Kesterson;   Steven W. Martin ;  Darl D. McDorman ;  Charles Venton McGovern ;  Lloyd A. Miller ;  Charles Kenneth Moran, Jr. ;  Thomas W. Mynes;   Clarence W. Obie, III ;  Cecil Thomas Oscar ;  Claude D. Pullen ;  Edward G. Rankin ;  Thomas Joseph Richards, Jr. ;  David W. Smith ;  Winfred L. Smith;   Theodore W. Webb;   Denham A. Whitesell, Jr. ; Glen O. Wilfong, Jr.;  Leonard T. Williams 

Vietnam War Museum

Lovingston, Virginia CLOSED

 https://www.vietnamwarfoundationmuseum.com/ 

Buckingham County War Memorial

Buckingham, Virginia

The Buckingham County Memorial was erected on May 28, 1990 by the Buckingham County Ruritan Club to honor members of the U.S. military who were born in Buckingham and died in combat. The memorial names soldiers from World Wars I and II, Korea, and the Vietnam War. Those who died in Vietnam are  David B. Bryant ,  Thomas C. Rush Jr. , and  Donald P. Woodfin . Every Memorial Day the Ruritan Club, alongside servicemen and women of the armed forces, honors community members fallen.  

The memorial is visible from the roadside, but requires five steps with side rails to access from the sidewalk.  There is a wheelchair accessible path from the parking lot behind the Courthouse. Nearby monuments include multiple confederate memorials in the area. The first is the Confederate Soldiers of Buckingham County, erected in 1908, and the second for Robert E. Lee in 1937.  Additionally, the Union Grove School nearby represents the One Room School of the early twentieth century in the county, and the Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Courthouse project gives a layout of Jefferson’s burnt down courthouse. 

-Dante Jackson, HIST 300

Appomattox County Eternal Flame

Appomattox, Virginia

The Appomattox County Eternal Flame War Memorial stands in Courthouse Square directly in front of the Appomattox County Courthouse. Erected on May 30, 1971, the memorial is a tribute to the servicemen of Appomattox County who honorably served and sacrificed their lives in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Although the city is dominated by Civil War history and memorials, American Legion Post 104 sought to ensure the memory of twentieth century servicemen. 

The memorial includes a stone on its west side commemorating Charles Thomas Moses Jr., as the "founder of the eternal flame," a concept ensuring continued remembrance. Visitors can expect to see a list of names of Appomattox County Vietnam War veterans displayed on the south-facing side, including  Fred Henry Patterson ,  Calvin Coolidge Jr. ,  Curtis Whitted , and  Roger W. Grubbs . The Veterans Memorial stands as a testament "for those who served our country-state in times of need." 

The memorial is visible from the road, and requires one step up from the sidewalk level for access. Once on ground level, the area is navigable by wheelchair or mobility aids. 

-Julien Saylor, HIST 300

Lynchburg Monument Terrace

Lynchburg, Virginia

In the Lynchburg Central Business District sits Monument Terrace, consisting of a fountain, descending steps, and historical markers devoted to those who have served in each American war. Vietnam is represented by a stone pillar monument inscribed “Lord God of Hosts, Be With Us Yet, Lest We Forget–Lest We Forget.” The names of twenty-seven Lynchburg servicemen who were killed in action from 1964 to 1970 are included on the wall behind the monument, as well as on the Lynchburg Museum’s website,  www.lynchburgmuseum.org .

Also in Monument Terrace are the POW-MIA and Purple Heart Monuments. Erected by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 196 in 2005, the POW-MIA Monument is a stone tablet on a plinth, emblazoned with the POW-MIA emblem and inscribed “You Are Not Forgotten.” This monument is a tribute to those who have not returned home from the Vietnam War, including many servicemen whose remains were never recovered or who may have been detained after the conflict ended. 

Soldiers remembered through the monument are  John Dabney Bass,   Russel Keith Blatz ,  Donald E. Clark Jr. ,  Richard Way Crickenberger,   John Wayne Davidson ,  David Wayne De Priest ,  Stephen Finney ,  Harry Burkey Forbes,   Larry Edward Francis ,  Raymond Lee Goodman ,  Roger Wayne Grubbs ,  Robert Edward Hall ,  Eugene David Harvey ,  Elwood Layton Houston ,  James Edward Hughes,   William Kenneth Hunter ,  Calvert James Johnson ,  Richard Junior Jones ,  Aubrey Reid Mays,   Kenneth Arthur Shannon ,  Alfred William Spinner,   John Francis Stewart ,  Stanley Edward Taylor ,  Robert Daniel Unrue ,  Larry Francis Wirt ,  James C. Wood , and  Charles Fred Wright .

William C. Wise Vietnam Veterans Memorial Oak Tree

Lynchburg, Virginia

The William C. Wise Vietnam Veterans Memorial Oak Tree also includes a stone plaque in memory of William Clayton Wise and in “honor and memory of the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War.” The stone is about a foot and a half tall, its appearance more rugged than the worn tombstones surrounding it, with a metal plaque affixed to the front.  Beneath the dedication is a quote from President Ronald Reagan describing the necessity of continually fighting for freedom every generation. 

Born in 1947, Wise served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and was an active volunteer with the American Legion Post 16 and Vietnam Veterans Association. Erected in 2010, the tree predates the memorial plaque and is amongst the tree canopy of Lynchburg’s Old City Cemetery.  Wise's memorial joins the graves of veterans from the American Revolution through today’s conflicts. Five small museums surround the cemetery, which is accessible by foot or car and visited often for its contemplative setting and educational opportunities. The marker is across the street from the Brick Tomb along Taylor Street before it curves to the left.

Vietnam Memorial "All Gave Some, Some Gave All"

Amherst, Virginia

The Vietnam Memorial in Amherst is a brick paved plaza at the intersection of South Main Street (BUS 29) and East Court Street. Two metal benches frame a metal panel with plaques containing the names of local veterans in the shade of mature trees. Their names are below the phrase "All Gave Some, Some Gave All. Gone, but Not Forgotten.” In the middle of the plaza is a stone marker inscribed “To The Honor and Glory of Those Who Honorably Served to Keep Our Country a Land of Freedom, This Monument is to Honor All Those Veterans From Amherst County Who Served Their Country in World War II.” The names, ranks, service branches, and life span of thirteen local soldiers in Vietnam are included on the wall:  PFC Roger L. Floyd, US Army  -  SP4 Raymond M. Thompson, US Army  -  PFC Harvey Johnson III, US Army  -  SP4 Harry W. Branham, US Army  -  CPL Andrew J. Cooper, USMC  -  SSGT William E. Tyree, USAF  -  SP4 Donnie J. Lawhorne, US Army  -  PFC Curtis O. Miller, US Army  -  PFC Everette W. Briggs, US Army  -  CPL Ronald E. Robertson, US Army  -  PFC William D. Sirocco Jr, US Army . The plaza is maintained by the American Legion, Lynchburg Military Order of the Purple Heart 1607, United Vietnam Veterans Chapter 196, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9877 in Amherst. 

Veterans Memorial

Buena Vista, Virginia

Located on the exterior wall of the local courthouse, the Buena Vista War Memorial is a plaque at eye height to the right of the entrance. The war memorial was completed and inducted on December 31, 1954 and originally included World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. A separate extension plaque was added for the Vietnam War. At the top of the plaque is a bald eagle and the dedication: “Dedicated to Those Who Paid the Supreme Sacrifice.” This war memorial was built and created by W.W. Coffey & Sons in Lexington from funds collected by Floyd-Davidson American Legion Post 126, which holds their meetings in the memorial building. Individual plaques with photos, service information, and service dates for sixteen total veterans fill the exterior wall to the right of the plaque.

The Vietnam Veterans mentioned and honored in the Buena Vista War Memorial are  Roger L. Garrett ,  Robert W. Dameron , and  Anthony L. Johnson .

-Katie Phalen, HIST 205

Korean and Vietnam Wars Memorial

Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia

The Memorial Gateway, a tall brick wall with concrete columns, stands proudly on either side of the entrance to campus at the intersection of North Jefferson and West Henry Streets. Due to its location, the plaques adorning the brick walls are accessibly by car and foot. Located in the historic downtown of Lexington, students and visitors can see the War Memorial as they walk through campus or into town.

Originally built to honor students who died in World War I, the scope has expanded to include subsequent wars. Plaques for 9/11, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, David Rohr Herr Jr. '84, and Christopher James Coffland '88 joined those for World War I. In 2022 three plaques honoring individual soldiers previously located in the University Chapel were relocated to be displayed alongside their fellow veterans. One,  James Howard Monroe '66  earned the Medal of Honor in 1967 for his actions as a combat medic.

The archway peak is inscribed with the motto "Not Self, But Country," drawing attention to the sacrifices of alumni across continents and conflicts. The plaque for Vietnam bears the insignia of the armed forces and the seal of Washington and Lee University and is dedicated to “To the Memory of the Sons of Washington and Lee University who Sacrificed Their Lives in the Service of Their Country During the Korean and Vietnam Wars.”  The names of Vietnam War casualties are listed with their graduation year:

William Michael Akers '58;  Charles Christopher Bonnett '65 ; William Caspari III '58;  Robert Barry Crosby '68;  Jon Price Evans '37; Robert Morrow Fortune '67; Henry Poellnitz Johnston Jr. '70;  Leo John Kelly Jr. '66 ; John Peter Luzis Jr. '70;  James Howard Monroe '66 ; Thomas Alexander Nalle Jr. '54;  Ronald Oliver Scharnberg '63 ; Louis Otey Smith '58;  Jay Webster Stull '60 ;  Frederick Nicholas Suttle Jr. '67 ; Walter Ludman Toy '63;  Scott Mitchell Verner '65 ;  James Schenler Wood '63 

Their stories are told in  this article  from The Columns, a university newspaper. Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr. '67 died from injuries sustained in Vietnam and is included in the article alongside his fellow alumni.

Allegheny's Heroic Dead

Covington, Virginia

Approaching the Allegheny Courthouse on West Main Street, visitors see a circular pavilion on the right with three granite stones. Each stone is affixed with a bronze plaque and faces two benches provided for reflection. Trees growing behind the stones provide shade in the summer heat. The panel for “Allegheny’s Heroic Dead, Korean War 1950-1955, Vietnam Conflict 1964-1975” was dedicated on November 11th, 1982 "From those who care." The memorial joined stones commemorating World War I and World War II soldiers, and inspired the larger reflective space.

The memorial highlights Medal of Honor recipients  Michael Fleming Folland  and  Gary Lee Miller  who served and defended their country with bravery in Vietnam.

Local citizens killed in Vietnam include  Fred E. Barnette ,  Ralph W. Broughman ,  Gary A. Burks ,  Charles T. Cooke ,  Thomas J. Craghead Jr. ,  Michael F. Folland ,  William H. Harrison III ,  Roy D. Humphrey ,  Michael L. Jenkins ,  Charles E. Johnson ,  Gary L. Miller,   Norman N. Miller,   Nelson T. Nicely , and  Delmis C. Watson .

Vinton-Roanoke County Veterans Monument

Vinton, Virginia

The Vinton-Roanoke County Veterans Monument is located on the grounds of the Vinton War Memorial at 814 East Washington Avenue, easily identifiable by the brick entryway and "LOVE" sign at the front of the expansive lawn. Dedicated to veterans of all American Conflicts and those actively serving in the military, the site is a short drive from Roanoke and the Blue Ridge Parkway and accessible by car and visitors with mobility aides.

Entitled "High Ground," the Veterans Monument sits in the center of the parking area and is designed to draw the visitor's gaze upward. It consists of a white octagonal pavilion, central sculpture, and various plaques. The paved brick sidewalk and approach area include bricks with dedications and memorandum from local residents. One side of the pavilion includes a ramp with railings while the other seven have three steps. In the center stands a sculpture of a leaning American flag supported by four stone pillars listing the names of World War II veterans. Plaques on each of the inward facing columns list the names of local veterans who gave their lives in various conflicts from World War I through the present. The pavilion invites the viewer to turn their gaze upward towards a bronze American flag and the inscription, “Here Pause Awhile - To Bless Their Sleep - Who Fell in War - To Save Our Peace - Then Go Renewed - And Build the Lives - They Lost for You - In God We Trust.” Owned and operated by the town of Vinton, the War Memorial serves as an event hosting venue.

Local residents honored on the monument from the Vietnam War include  Ronald Henry Chittum ,  Joseph Timothy Keesee ,  Daniel R. Meador ,  William F. Silver Jr .,  Marshall Joseph Angell ,  Joseph Bruce Bowman ,  Barry Wayne Brickey ,  Iran Courtland Brown ,  John Alphonzo Brown ,  Joseph Whelton Brown III ,  Luther William Burton ,  Robert Jerome Carter ,  Paul Frederick Cobb ,  John Philip Craig ,  Lloyd Douglas Doering ,  Charles Robert Emory ,  Billy Kennedy Evans, Jr .,  John Fletcher Goodlett ,  Henry Brian Grammar ,  Lawrence Earl Hackley ,  Robert Bryant Hamblett ,  Douglas Lee Harrison ,  Clyde Russell Herman ,  Vassar William Hurt III ,  Calvin Johnson ,  Donald Reginald Johnston ,  Randall Claiborne Knisely ,  James Garfield Lawson ,  John Tyler Logan ,  Norman Lacy Long, Jr .,  Douglas Oscar Looney ,  Gary Alan Martin ,  Dennis Mayon Mattox ,  Robert Thomas McDaniel ,  Charles Dennis McGinnes ,  James R. McIlwee ,  Charles Hewett Millner ,  Paul Martin Reed ,  Aubrey Archie Reid, Jr .,  Donald Reed Robertson ,  John William Rucker ,  Bruce Allan Saunders ,  Donn Lafayette Sweet ,  John R. Thornhill III ,  Harry Edward Underwood ,  Robert Dennis Ware ,  Thomas L. Waterman ,  Eddy Eugene White ,  Roger Dale Williams ,  Kenneth Max Willis ,  Thurman Woody, Jr .,  Johnny Wayne Wright ,  Roger Dale Atkinson ,  Donnie Jay Bragg ,  Robert Mason Journell III ,  Francis Sherman Oberson ,  Kester Ulrey , and  William Winton Webb .

Freedom Plaza

Roanoke, Virginia

The corner of Church Avenue and 2nd Street in downtown Roanoke has been designated Freedom Plaza in memory of Roanoke City residents who gave their lives in battle from World War I to the present day. Dedicated in 1982, the memorial includes the names of hundreds of Roanokers who made the ultimate sacrifice, commemorative poetry including "In Flanders Fields" by the Canadian poet John McRae, and a time capsule placed in 1994 to be opened on the one-hundredth anniversary of the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 2044.

Visitors approaching the intersection see a triangular space marked by alternating Virginia and American flags, a mature tree, and three stone panels. Benches under the tree provide a space for contemplation and an interpretive panel invites visitors to learn more about the names on the panels through literature available at the Municipal Building next door. Several younger trees planted by the city are a testament to the long standing and future commitment to remembering the lives of those lost to war. The sidewalk is illuminated by in-ground lights, providing motorists a reminder of military sacrifice at all hours.

Each stone panel includes a list of local residents killed in action by military conflict. The Vietnam Era includes a quote by Ingersoll, "In the midst of battles, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death." Below the quote are listed  Marshall Joseph Angell ,  Roger Dale Atkinson , Lester Clay Blevins,  Joseph Bruce Bowman ,  Donnie Jay Bragg ,  Barry Wayne Brickey ,  Ira Courtland Brown ,  John Alphonzo Brown ,  Joseph Whelton Brown III ,  Joseph William Burkett ,  Luther William Burton ,  Bill D. Callahan ,  Robert Jerome Carter ,  Ronald H. Chittum ,  Paul Frederick Cobb ,  John Philip Craig ,  Warren Kent Davis ,  Lloyd Douglas Doering ,  Charles Robert Emory ,  Billy Kennedy Evans, Jr .,  Thomas Alfred Garman ,  John Fletcher Goodlett ,  Henry Brian Grammer ,  Lawrence Earl Hackley ,  Robert Bryant Hamblett ,  Douglas Lee Harrison , Roger Madison Hartman,  Clyde R. Herman ,  James E. Hughes ,  Vassar William Hurt III ,  Calvin Johnson ,  David Curtis Johnson ,  Donald Reginald Johnston , Fowler P. Johnston, Jr.,  Robert Mason Journell III ,  Timothy Joseph Keesee ,  Randall C Knisely ,  James Garfield Lawson ,  John Tyler Logan ,  Norman Lacy Long, Jr .,  Phillip Michael Long ,  Douglas Oscar Looney ,  Gary Alan Martin , Dewey Minnis Mason, Jr.,  Dennis Mayon Mattox ,  Robert Thomas McDaniel ,  Charles Dennis McGinnes ,  James R. McIlwee , J. Berkeley McClendon,  Daniel Ray Meador ,  Angelo Francis Michelli ,  Charles Hewett Millner ,  Ward W. Mills, Jr. ,  John Samuel Myers, Sr .,  William L. Newsome ,  Francis Sherman Oberson ,  Paul Martin Reed ,  Aubrey Archie Reid, Jr .,  Donald Reed Robertson ,  John William Rucker ,  Clarence Henry Saint Clair ,  Bruce Allen Saunders , Patrick Francis Shanley,  William F. Silver, Jr .,  James Ralph Snyder ,  Donn Lafayette Sweet ,  John R. Thornhill III ,  Kester Ulrey ,  Harry Edward Underwood ,  Robert Dennis Ware ,  Thomas Lescure Waterman ,  Eddy Eugene White ,  Roger Dale Williams ,  Kenneth Max Willis ,  Thurman Woody, Jr .,  David Irvin Wright  , Johnny Wayne Wright , and  James Ray Young .

Montgomery County War Memorial

Christiansburg, Virginia

Standing tall at the corner of West Main and South Franklin Streets, Montgomery County’s War memorial consists of three connected stone pillars. The central pillar has an American eagle insignia with a dedication “to the memory of these citizens of Montgomery County, Virginia, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country in the world conflicts.” Vietnam joins World War I, World War II, Korea, and Iraq and Desert Storm as a conflict that claimed the lives of soldiers from Montgomery County. The central pillar is over eight feet tall and is flanked by two pillars about adult height.  At the dedication in 1953 only the front panels facing the intersection were inscribed. The rear left panel contains the Vietnam War and the Middle East Conflict. The right rear panel remains blank for future sacrifices by Montgomery soldiers.

The monument stands on its own miniature park carved out between the widened intersection and an older shopping corner. Parking is immediately adjacent in front of nearby shops with ADA accessible sidewalks and a paved path that leads to the memorial from pedestrian crosswalks.  An American flag flies in front of the memorial and two trees flank the panels.

Those from Montgomery County who died in Vietnam include  Henry T. Cox ,  Leon N. East ,  George A. Gerald ,  Charlie M. Gilmer ,  Paul L. Huff ,  Jimmy H. McClung ,  Charles D. McGinnes ,  Ward W. Mills, Jr ,  Otis B. Sink ,  Arthur B. Smith ,  Frederick F. Van Deusen ,  Robert M. Wade ,  Leon D. Willard , and  Walter Kosko. 

Virginia Tech War Memorial Chapel

Blacksburg, Virginia

The Virginia Tech War Memorial Chapel memorializes alumni of the institution (officially known as the Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University) who have died in military service. Construction for the memorial began in spring 1951 and concluded in May 1960 at a cost of $477,335. At its unveiling, the memorial recognized alumni who died in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Vietnam casualties were added beginning in 1962. More recently, two names from the Persian Gulf War and nine names from the War on Terror joined their fellow alumni. The Memorial Chapel has a commanding presence at the edge of the drillfield, highly visible at the intersection of Drillfield Drive and Alumni Mall (VA Route 314) as well as multiple digital viewpoints on Google Maps. 

The memorial has eight large pylons representing Brotherhood, Honor, Leadership, Sacrifice, Service, Loyalty, Duty, and Ut Prosim (the Virginia Tech motto: "That I May Serve"). In the back of the memorial, there is a cenotaph with the inscribed names of the seven alumni who received the Medal of Honor, although none of these alumni died in Vietnam. The memorial is wheelchair accessible but distance may be required from parking locations.

Alumni who died in Vietnam with their class year:

C. S. Beaumont '68;  C. E. Blair Sr. '49;   R.L. Buckles '64 ;  D. G. Burd '67 ;  P. F. Cobb '66 ;  J. A. Connell '66 ;  R. A. Crabtree '56 ;  B. J. Dunham '70 ; H. B. East '58;  R. C. Edmunds '64 ; L. N. Edney ‘64;  C. R. Emory '65 ;  A. H. Giddings '66 ; D. T. Gray III '65; W.I.K. Hamilton '62; R. Herman '66;  J. E. Hill '68 ; R. D. Johnson '63;  J. P. Karr '69;  J. R. Kelly '65;  C. R. Kesterson '58 ;  J. S. Manuel Jr. '68  ;G. W. McGhee '70; D. W. Murphy Jr. '64;  T. A. Palm '67 ; C. W. Plunkett '66; A. C. Pollard '62;  R. L. Pruhs '68 ;  K. A. Shannon '61;   D. G. Spearman '61 ;  G. E. Stone '53 ;  T. W. Webb '68 ;  W. W. Webb III '64;  M. F. White '61;  G. D. Whitmore II '68 ;  B. M. Willey '52 

-Davis Jansen, HIST 300

Lest We Forget POW-MIA of All Wars

Pulaski, Virginia

The memorial “Lest We Forget POW–MIAs Of All Wars” in Pulaski County honors those missing from World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and Korean War. Located in the courtyard of the Pulaski County Courthouse this memorial remembers specifically the residents of Pulaski who went missing in action or were taken prisoner in those wars. 

The square monument includes the POW names from World War II and Vietnam on the left side; POW names from World War I and Korea on the right; and the MIA names from Vietnam and World War II are also on the right side. The top and front include an inscription for all POW-MIA soldiers. Several other memorials are nearby, including the World War I Pulaski Memorial, the World War II Gun Pulaski, Pulaski Veterans Memorial, Pulaski County Revolutionary War Memorial, Veterans Memorial Bridge, and Thorton Lemon Massie. The monument is wheelchair accessible and visible from West Main Street. 

Pulaski Vietnam service members memorialized include  Leonard M. Lee (MIA - Body Recovered 17 July 1999)  and  Julius W. Long Jr. (POW) .

-Mark Gosser, HIST 300

Giles County War Memorial

Pearisburg, Virginia

The Giles County War Memorial is a four-sided stone plinth at the intersection of Wenonah Avenue (US 460) and North Main Street on the grounds of the Giles County Courthouse. Each side includes a list of casualties “In memory of the men of Giles County who gave their lives in defense of their county” from WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The Pearisburg Woman’s Club dedicated the Vietnam casualty memorial naming  Charles E. Bonds ,  Carl M. Mabe ,  Paul R. Martin ,  Ronald D. Sparks , and  Bradley H. Tate  on the plaque.  The grass lawn surrounding the Giles County Courthouse includes two other military memorials. Underneath a pine tree to the northeast away from Main Street is a memorial to Revolutionary War Soldiers of Giles County. Off Main Street on the courthouse grounds is the Giles County Confederate Monument. Located in the historic area of downtown, visitors to the area or residents using the municipal buildings can appreciate the sacrifices of soldiers from Giles County. Mountains are visible in three directions from a the grassy area contained by an iron fence yet accessible from sidewalk entrances.  While the War Memorial is visible from vehicular traffic, reading the Vietnam plaque requires entering the courthouse grounds for closer contemplation.

Virginia/West Virginia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Mercer County, West Virginia

Dedicated to soldiers from Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War, the Virginia/West Virginia Vietnam Veterans Memorial is just over the state border in Lilly Grove, West Virginia. The memorial is located on a plaza along the Blue Star Memorial Highway entitled “A Tribute to the Armed Forces That Have Defended the United States of America.” 

The plaza has a parking lot surrounded by flags that are illuminated at night. The names of local veterans are inscribed by county on separate black marble tablets at the plaza. Three tablets are inscribed with the names of soldiers who died in Vietnam from Wythe, Tazewell, Bland, and Giles Counties.

Wythe County:  Shelby G. Hensley ;  Kenneth Darrell Spencer ;  Stephen M Brumfield;   Jesse Stephen Manuel Jr. ;  Edward D. Akers ;  Larry Elbert Collins ;  Luther James Doss Jr. ;  Michael Eugene Gearhart 

Bland County:  Council Lee Royal  Giles County:  Charles E. Bonds ;  Carl M. Mabe ;  Paul R. Martin;   Ronald D. Sparks ;  Bradley H. Tate       

Tazewell County:  Willis L. McBride ;  Raymond D. Bandy ;  David C. Johnson ;  Hurley Millard Boyd ;  Daniel C. Reece ;  John B. Bowling Sr ;  Jack R. Bradner ;  James T. Pruitt;   Herman Brown ;  Donald L. Martinez ;  Willie Roger Griffith ;  John Edgar Hardin ;  Charles Niven Rudd ;  Donald Eugene Jackson ;  Ralph Burkhalter Jr.;   James Tipton Elswick Jr. ;  Arvin L. O'Quinn ;  William Wayne Alley ;  Paul F. Sayers ;  William David Pruett;   Willard F. Hayes;   Roy Lee Helbert ;  Grover C. Wright Jr. ;  Guy Ray Jr.;   Donald R. Rash ;  Jack P. Dove ;  Roy P. Gillespie ;  Curtis Patton;   Gary Duane Cochran ;  Thomas Edward Epperson ;  Robert L. Laird ;  George D. Wallace;   James B. Williams ;  Charles V. Turley 

Buchanan County Vietnam War Memorial

Grundy, Virginia

Erected by the Buchanan County of Supervisors in 1976, the memorial honors "those Buchanan Countians who have given the supreme sacrifice while serving in the United States armed forces during the Vietnam conflict." The stone marker sits immediately adjacent to the sidewalk on the Main Street side of the Buchanan County Courthouse. It is visible from a vehicle although reading the inscription requires closer proximity. Several other stone markers and statues line the sidewalk in front of the Buchanan County Courthouse. The marker for Vietnam is the rightmost marker closest to Court Street with a slight vertical incline.

Local servicemen who lost their lives in Vietnam are listed with their branch of service and rank:  Army Gerald Wayne Cantrell SP4 ;  Army Stoney Lee Deel SP4 ;  Army Roy Dean Wimmer PVT ;  Army Everett Duel Ratliff SP4 ;  AF Grayson Henry Newberry St.Sgt ;  MC Godfred Blankenship SGT;  and  MC Luther Elmer Preston PVT .

These Men Gave The Supreme Sacrifice For Our Freedom

Pound, Virginia

Located on the Dotson-Mullins Field fence, formerly a part of Pound High School, this memorial lists the names of all local casualties in service to their country since World War I. The field is named after Capt. Jefferson Scott Dodson and 1 ^st  Lt. Daniel Lee Mullins as graduates of the Class of 1962, student-athletes, and soldiers during the Vietnam War. The memorial includes a plaque honoring the field’s namesakes, a banner supporting all branches of the U.S. military, an American flag, and barriers to protect the memorials during sporting events. The high school was demolished in 2022, yet the community saved the plaques and moved them to their current location.

 Daniel Lee Mullins  and  Jefferson Scott Dotson  join fellow servicemen  Reuben Shortt ,  David R. Branson , and  Vernie Powers  on the memorial. The plaque is at eye level with an American flag underneath the title and on the edge of the Historical Society of The Pound’s parking lot. The sign is visible from the road and easily accessible by car, foot, or wheelchair.

Dotson-Mullins Field Memorial

Pound, Wise County, Virginia

The black plaque with white text framing an American flag sits at the corner of a fence for Dotson-Mullins Field.  Formerly on the site of Pound High School, the plaque and fencing were moved to the Historical Society of the Pound on Main Street after the school’s demolition in 2022. Capt.  Jefferson Scott Dotson  and 1 ^st  Lt.  Daniel Lee Mullins , graduates of the Class of 1962, student-athletes, and soldiers during the Vietnam War were among the first casualties from Wise County.  Befitting their connection to the town as outstanding athletes the community renamed the football field in their honor. Their birth dates, death date, and service branch accompany the name and rank of these two local veterans.

Four other historic markers are within a half-mile of the memorial, with a military remembrance entitled “These Men Gave the Supreme Sacrifice for Our Freedom” immediately adjacent.  The plaque is visible from Main Street, although entering the open parking lot is required for reading. It stands immediately beneath the American flag in the corner of the fencing to the left of the Historical Society.

The Story of Lt. Billy Webb

Abingdon, Virginia

Through an in-depth story of one local life lost to the Vietnam War, this memorial encourages visitors to remember all who gave their life in military service. The memorial is an interpretive plaque protected from the elements by an overhanging roof. William “Billy” Webb grew up in Abingdon, where he worked as a delivery boy for the local newspaper. He graduated from Virginia Tech and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.  

Three weeks into his tour of Vietnam in 1966, Webb and Missouri native Sgt. Donald Leuthold scouted a small hill, “Hill 23”--similar in size to that of the monument--where they were ambushed and executed by the enemy. After establishing their headquarters near Hill 23, the company erected a memorial to Webb and Leuthold and named two dirt roads into their camp “Webb Avenue” and "Leuthold Avenue." These markers vanished after U.S. armed forces withdrew from Vietnam.

Webb's story inspired the construction of the  Abingdon Veterans Memorial Park  whose entrance road is named “Lt. Billy Webb Avenue." This act of remembrance offsets the destruction of the memorial in Vietnam and provides a name, face, and story to the thousands who lost their lives in Vietnam.

Smyth County War Memorial

Marion, Virginia

American Legion Post 18 sponsored the Smyth County monument in memory of all local soldiers who sacrificed their lives to their country from World War I through the Vietnam Conflict. The pillar stands just above adult height and two to three feet wide on each side. The marker is clearly visible from West Main Street, although reading the inscription requires using the pathways from the courthouse steps. On the southern side the Great Seal of the United States, an eagle with wings outstretched, welcomes visitors to read the inscription: “in reverent and enduring memory of her loyal sons who made the supreme sacrifice and also those who served their country in World War I, World War II and the Korean Conflict, Vietnam Conflict.  They counted not their lives dear unto themselves.” Every service member killed in action is listed by conflict on the pillar. The Vietnam “Gold Star Honor Roll” is listed on the east side of the marker. A full list of Smyth County residents who served can be found in the Clerk’s Office.

 Ronald W. Blevins ,  Roger L. Dillman ,  Blake W. Farris, Jr .,  Herbert A. Frye ,  Troy R. Hayden ,  David C. Johnson ,  Joseph William Buchanan ,  Albert M. Keen, Jr .,  William C. Meek ,  Billy R. Morris ,  Frank Roop ,  Grover Thompson , and  Harold A. Williams  all died in Vietnam.

Washington County Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Abingdon, Virginia

Edged in bronze with a black background, this plaque to local Vietnam veterans stands at eye level. The Veterans Pavilion provides shelter from the shade and a firm surface from which to see the remainder of Veterans Memorial Park. Every pillar in the pavilion contains a plaque or emblem for military history or communities, with more added every year. The plaque for Vietnam casualties faces towards the center of the pavilion on the pillar containing the POW-MIA design as visitors approach the structure.  

The monument reads “In memory and honor of these service men from Washington County, Virginia who gave their lives for the cause of freedom in Vietnam … May They Never Be Forgotten.” The majority of the plaque’s surface contains the sixteen names of local servicemen who lost their lives in Vietnam, their rank, branch of service, and death date. Visitors have a relatively flat path from the parking lot to the pavilion, although navigating grass is required.

Listed in order of their sacrifice are:  James Harold Lewis ;  William Winton Webb ;  Robert Morris Cooke ;  Lawrence D. Watkins, Jr. ;  Johnny Wayne Wright ;  Harold J. Sturgill, Jr. ;  James David Roark ;  Henry Gleaves Crigger ;  Leonard Harrison Snead, Jr. ;  Blake Wiley Farris, Jr.;   James Perry Singleton ;  George Jose Cox ;  Charles Emmitt Shaw ;  Harold Richard Hayden ;  Carl Howard Sexton, Jr. ;  Ronald Wayne Blevins;   Gary Ray Burnette ;  Giles Warren Stallard ;  Thomas William Whitten ;  Charles C. Buchanan;  and  Edgar Durphy Thomas 

POW-MIA You Are Not Forgotten

Abingdon, Virginia

Established in 2008, this interpretive marker discusses the history of the POW-MIA (Prisoner of War-Missing in Action) flag and its connection to the Vietnam War. The flag was commissioned by the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, an organization founded in 1970 to raise awareness for the plight of prisoners and missing in the Vietnam War. The black and white flag, approved in 1971 and covering the left side of the marker, features a prisoner's silhouette and a guard tower and is framed by the words “You Are Not Forgotten.” At war's end in 1975, two thousand service members remained unaccounted for, and the League lobbied for public recognition, retrieval, and information about those missing in action in Southeast Asia. Initiated in response to circumstances during the Vietnam War, the flag now applies to all POW-MIA servicemen and women. 

The marker stands in  Veterans Memorial Park  at the intersection of Cumming Street SW and Grove Terrace Drive SW in Abingdon. It is a grassy area with numerous interpretive signs and memorials. The POW-MIA marker is on a slight grassy hill but visible from the road at a distance. 

Purple Heart Monument

Abingdon, Virginia

Located in  Veterans Memorial Park  in Abingdon, this vibrant panel explains the history of the Purple Heart from its inception by George Washington in 1782 to its reestablishment in 1932. A photo from a local recipient, Korean War veteran Sgt. First Class Jim Beaver of Washington County, adorns the bottom left of the panel.  The award is a heart-shaped medal with George Washington’s profile. On the reverse, the words “FOR MILITARY MERIT” and an option for multiple combat medals distinguished by starts or oak leaf clusters depending on the military branch. The Purple Heart is awarded to those wounded in military combat.

In addition to the Purple Heart, visitors can read about the Medal of Honor, Overmountain Men, US-Mexican War, Pvt. Michael Widener, Sprit of 1776, War of 1812, Star Spangled Banner, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition along a mile long walk through the thirteen-acre park.  During the summer of 2024, Veterans Memorial Park added a dedicated parking space for veterans with a Purple Heart at the south end of the entry.

"Yellow Ribbon" Monument

Abingdon, Virginia

Located in  Veterans Memorial Park  in Abingdon, the “Yellow Ribbon” Monument stands at adult height with the recognizable looped ribbon in bronze the full length of the stone slab. At the bottom, the inscription “Until You’re Home Again” focuses the monument on all service men and women who are away from home. An interpretive plaque nearby contextualizes the history of remembrance during wartime, focusing on the lack of support and appreciation for Vietnam veterans during their service and upon their return home. The monument explicitly seeks to ensure that the indifference shown to Vietnam veterans will not be repeated with other service men and women. 

The park with its grassy field and occasional trees includes a number of other memorials and monuments to various service organizations. Amongst them are markers for POW-MIAs, the Minutemen, Animals in Service, Daughters of the American Revolution, The War on Terrorism, and Women in Military Service for America.  The monument is visible from the street, and an overview of the park is wheelchair accessible, although complete access to the interpretive signage requires navigating a slight grassy incline.

Pulaski County War Memorial

Pulaski, Virginia

The Pulaski County War Memorial stands outside the Pulaski County Courthouse to the left of the entrance, which is identified by three stone arches. The shiny granite marker is about about three feet tall and joins a Veterans Memorial and a similar marker called “Lest We Forget” honoring POW-MIAs. Benches flank the space, allowing contemplation in the shade of several trees as visitors go down Main Street. The site is easily accessible by car and has a pedestrian crosswalk leading directly to the entry arches.

The inscription at the top dedicates the monument “to those who gave the last full measure and to those who marched beside them.” Each vertical side of the monument lists the names of those killed in action, organized by war. Medal of Honor recipients are noted at the top of their conflict’s casualties. The monument faces the Veterans Memorial in the center. On the front, World War II. To the right, World War I and Korea. To the left, Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The back remains blank for future conflicts.

Those “Killed in Action–Vietnam” include:

 Cox, Henry T.;   Crowder, H.H. Johnny;  DeHart, Jr., Thomas E.;  Gravley, James T. ;  Howell, Phillip ;  Kilby, Raymond M. ;  Martin, William R.  ;  Rolfe, Michael D. ; and  Wade, Thomas L. 

Floyd County War Memorial

Floyd, Virginia

Floyd County’s War Memorial highlights local service in various branches and international conflicts as well as the Civil War. Each side of the two-story stone pillar topped with an eagle statue has military insignia above the name of the respective branch. The Vietnam War (1864-1975) and Korean War (1950-1953) share a side with the U.S. Marines logo.  To view the Vietnam inscription, visitors should approach the Marcus H. Long Jr. Courthouse and turn to their right. Space remains on each of the four surfaces for further conflicts to join the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf War and Desert Storm. The tribute to Floyd County veterans is a central part of the landscape, sitting on the courthouse lawn at 100 East Main Street. As such it is highly visible to vehicular traffic and wheelchair accessible.

Other historical markers close by are the Floyd County Civil War Memorial, Former Site of an African American School, Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, and Albert Tappe Howards Milk House.

Franklin County Veterans Memorial Park

Rocky Mount, Virginia

Franklin County Veterans Memorial Park is situated near the town of Rocky Mount at the intersection of South Main Street (U.S. 220 Business) and Scuffling Hill Road. The park is described as “a quiet reminder of the honor, courage, and sacrifice of local soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served.” Located along the banks of the Pigg River, the memorial consists of an obelisk surrounded by an  circle of flags representing the many branches of the military. It offers visitors a beautiful, well-maintained view and ample seating. Names of veterans of Vietnam and other conflicts who were killed in action are engraved on the memorial, surrounded by bricks with the names of thousands who survived their time in military service.  

The Memorial Park offers easy access to the Pigg River by boardwalk for fishing and watersports, as well as a playground and picnic facilities. 

The Franklin County Veterans Memorial Commission funds and provides for the park by planning, directing, and coordinating the sale of memorial bricks, which are available for purchase and engraved with the names and information of members of the Armed Services. Additionally, the Veterans Commission also honors servicemen by conducting memorial ceremonies at the park each year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. 

At the base of the stone marker facing the main walkway are the names of Franklin County soldiers who died in Vietnam. They are  Marshall J. Angell ,  Michael D. Cannaday ,  John C. Davidson ,  Sherman A. Furrow ,  Richard W. Perdue , and  Lloyd M. Starkey .

Henry County War Memorial

Martinsville, Virginia

The Henry County War Memorial stands tall on the lawn of the Heritage Center and Museum (formerly the Henry County Courthouse) in downtown Martinsville. Dedicated on November 10, 1985 with funding from the American Legion, Amvets, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars it remains highly visible from Main Street. The memorial stands to the left of the entrance plaza and frames the site with another memorial erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1901. The pillar is roughly two stories tall with several base layers before a taller section containing all known Henry County casualties. The inscription reads, “In honor of those citizens of Martinsville and Henry County who courageously participated in these wars.” At dedication the wars included the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict. Since installation in 1985, sections for Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan have been added to the pillar. Each section contains the Honor Roll of veterans per military conflict. Above the names are the insignia of the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force.  The structure is guarded by an eagle with its wings outstretched, perched on top of the pillar.

Residents of of Henry County who died in Vietnam include  Frederick C Bullington ,  Johnny M. Hairston ,  Lonnie D. Alley ,  Morris A. Whitehead ,  Calvin W. Ramsey ,  Alphonso S. Martin,   Robert V. Holland ,  Samuel H. Easley II ,  David W. Wilson ,  Dwight L. Martin ,  Larry D. Hatcher ,  Lonnie A. Brooks ,  Bernard A. Sowder ,  Louis A. Jefferson ,  Lewis Dean Lamkin ,  Clovis B. Walker ,  Gordon E. Stone ,  Jerry A. Dillard ,  Frank J. Bowles ,  Lewis R. Lovell ,  James A. Souther ,  Samuel E. Witcher,   Harry P. Martin ,  Charles E. Manns ,  Douglas L Foley , and  Tony Elwood Seay .

Callands War Memorial

Pittsylvania County, Virginia

On the grounds of Callands Clerk's Office stands a three paneled monument to local veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. On Sago Road about a half mile north of the intersection of Callands Road, the Clerk’s Office is on the left while driving north. The monument is visible from the road, easily seen by the three flag poles behind the stone memorial. Two layers of granite slabs provide a base for vertical panels. The lowest slab is roughly hewn and the other is engraved with the insignia of military branches. Above the slabs are a central panel and two side panels at half height. The central panel is almost two stories high, while the side panels with the names of local casualties are about adult height. The center front reads, “The memorial is dedicated to those who have given the supreme sacrifice to their country and to honor all those from the Callands community who served their country.”

The two back side panels remain blank for future inscriptions. On the front left are the names, military branch, and date of death for Callands casualties. Those from Vietnam are  William Martin  (Air Force, Nov. 18, 1964) and  William T. Tarpley, Jr.  (Army, May 19, 1968).

Halifax War Memorial

Halifax, Virginia

The Halifax County War Memorial occupies a plaza on Houston and North Main Streets. The centerpiece is a dome covering a black granite monument inscribed with the names of 734 local residents who gave their lives in defense of their country. The inscription reads, “To Remember These Halifax County Patriots, To Remember Their Sacrifices, Is To Remember a Most Fundamental Truth-Our Future is Secure So Long As We Consecrate Our Nation’s Past and Pledge to Honor Those Who Carried Their Cause With Honor, Even to Their Graves.” The names of fourteen local soldiers who died in Vietnam are included on the monument. 

Dedicated in 2003 after fundraising by the Halifax County War Memorial Commission, the Memorial also includes space for the names of soldiers in future wars to be added in time.  

Halifax residents who died in Vietnam include  R. E. Carmichael ,  James W. Carr ,  Calvin Edmunds ,  Ronald C. Edwards,   Cecil W. Epps ,  Jimmy A. Ingram ,  R. C. Lawson ,  Clem S. Lowery, Jr. ,  Harvey R. Neal ,  James E. Palmer ,  James W. Rudd ,  Henry E. Russell,   Donald W. Tisdale , and  Charley A. Wilborn. 

Veterans Memorial

Farmville, Virginia

In front of the Prince Edward County Courthouse stand three granite stones about adult height facing inward towards a small plaza with two benches for contemplation. The memorial stands just off of Main Street on the right side of the courthouse lawn. A memorial for World War II joined a memorial to World War I, each additional pillar joining its predecessors in style, size, and composition. The Vietnam War memorial is on the rightmost marker with several distinct plaques. The pillar stands “In honor of the men and women of Prince Edward County who served their country in the Armed Forces since World War II and in memory of the following who made the Supreme Sacrifice.”  Below the inscription are three plaques for the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and Operation Iraqi Freedom with room for future military conflicts. Those from Prince Edward County who died in Vietnam are  Kenneth G. Clarke, Jr .,  Byron L. Tennant , and  Franklin R. Watkins .

Vietnam War Memorial

Drakes Branch, Virginia

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of  Gordon P. Young  of the First Cavalry Division. Gordon was the first resident of Charlotte County killed in action in Vietnam at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965. The monument is a stone tablet inscribed with the names of six other local soldiers who died in Vietnam. It is joined by a second tablet which includes a tribute to POW-MIAs, the logos of five combat services branches, and a dedication to “all veterans of foreign wars, past, present, and future." The memorial was dedicated in 2007 by Charlotte County VFW Post 8902. Nearby is Mount Calvary United Methodist Church. The memorial and monument are on Main Street, just north of Foster Street, in Drakes Branch.  They are identifiable while driving by the American and POW-MIA flags flown on site. Immediately adjacent to the markers is a stone bench for reflection and a parking area on level ground with the memorial.

Also listed on the monument are  James C. Dickerson  from Randolph, Navy, KIA 16 Aug 1968;  MacArthur G. Gee  from Charlotte C.H. Army, KIA 05 Jun 1968;  Samuel B. Hubbard  from Red House, Marines, KIA 24 Mar 1967;  Wilbert J. Jones Jr.   from Keysville, Army, KIA 09 Aug 1970;  Roy D. Lowe Jr.  from Charlotte C.H, Army, KIA 18 Aug 1968; and  Leroy A Whitlow  from Charlotte C.H., Army, KIA 15 Aug 1968.

Nottoway County War Memorial

Blackstone, Virginia

Erected in 1988 by the Courier-Record newspaper, this tall stone panel depicts a kneeling soldier with his helmet on the ground above a dedication and the names of Nottoway soldiers killed in action. The memorial is located to the right of Blackstone Public Library on its spacious lawn. The pillar is visible from the street although the trees and garden space may inhibit visibility during the summer months. A bench allows contemplation and reflection, and a sidewalk extension ensures accessibility to all visitors.

The memorial is “Dedicated to all from Nottoway County who have served their country in time or war, but especially, as a memorial to those listed below who died as a direct result of hostile action in these conflicts.”  The pillar lists the names of local men by conflict, beginning with World War I and followed by World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Nottoway residents who died in Vietnam are  Lloyd Fields, Jr .,  Lynell Neblett , and  Edward L. Shelton . Veterans Day continues to be a time of reflection at the site. In 2018 a time capsule was buried in honor of the 100 ^th  anniversary of the World War I Armistice to be opened on Veterans Day in 2048.

Brunswick County War Memorial

Lawrenceville, Virginia

The rightmost of three panels on the Brunswick County War Memorial reads, “We Hold In Grateful Memory the Men of Brunswick County Who Died To Preserve Our Way of Life.” The leftmost panel lists the conflicts which claimed their lives: World War I-World War II-Korea- Vietnam. The center panel is double the height of those on either side and contains a carving of an eagle with outstretched wings.

The Brunswick County Post 8048 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars dedicated a second monument steps away also known as the Veterans Memorial. This granite panel is inscribed with the names of seven Brunswick County residents who were killed in the Vietnam War along with the names of those who were killed in other twentieth century conflicts. The inscription on the Veterans Memorial reads: “Dedicated to All the Men From Brunswick County, VA Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice While Serving Their Country and To All Who Served With Honor.” Eight other historical markers are within three miles of this marker. 

The seven Brunswick County soldiers killed in Vietnam are  Benjamin B. Newsom ,  William Bell Jr. ,  Mack D. Stainback ,  Lloyd Fields Jr. ,  Milton Blackwell ,  Abraham Fields ,  Arthur L. Johnson , and "The Unknown."

Emporia-Greensville Memorial

Emporia, Virginia

The Emporia-Greensville Veteran War Memorial is located in Veterans Memorial Park. The park is located between Richardson Memorial Library and the Post Office on Battery Avenue, the vehicular entrance to the park which becomes a walking trail along the Meherrin River. The Veteran War Memorial is at the top of the lawn to the right of a picnic pavilion with a flagpole to draw visitors' attention. Vietnam is represented by a plaque inscribed with the names of three local residents who were killed in action between 1961-1975:  Alfred L. Mason ,  John M. Moore , and  David M. Tomlinson . Nearby are plaques with the names of local residents who were killed in other conflicts. The monument was erected in 1987 by American Legion Post 46, the Greensville Ruritan Club, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5371. Contextualizing the four twentieth-century conflicts honored at Veterans Memorial Park, eight other historical markers are within walking distance of the memorial. 

Sussex County War Memorial

Waverly, Virginia

Sussex County erected a sundial memorial to “Sussex County citizens who gave their lives in service to their country 1917–1958” in 1964. To include the five men who died in Vietnam, the County added an additional plaque on the other side of the stone marker. It reads “Our Vietnam War Dead Live Forever in Sussex County’s Grateful Memory” and provides the rank, name, death date, and specific locality for each soldier. The later addition ensured that Vietnam veterans were not forgotten, and their names can be seen by all visitors to the Sussex County Courthouse. 

The memorial sits next to the right of the main walkway, easily accessible by wheelchair from the courthouse parking lot, and under the canopy of a large tree.  A separate marker for the Sussex County Confederate Monument remembers local soldiers in the Civil War, and several other markers are in the vicinity of the town of Waverly.

Sp. 4  John Alvin Johnson  1/31/66 Jarratt Sgt.  Walter C. Velvet, Jr.  3/02/68 Waverly FA Willie Grady Whitmore, Jr. 8/21/68 Wakefield Major  Lawrence R. Booth  10/16/69 Stony Creek Pvt.  Larry M. Mason  3/21/71 Waverly

-Zenobia Williams, HIST 205

World War II-Korea-Vietnam Memorial

Waverly, Virginia

The World War II-Korea-Vietnam Memorial at Waverly in Sussex County was erected in 1985. The memorial is sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Waverly with donations from citizens of the Waverly area. The memorial consists of three joined panels, the central panel double the height of those alongside. Its dedication reads "In honor of the men and women of the Waverly area who served our country and especially to the everlasting memory of these who gave their lives in the cause of freedom." The purpose of the memorial is to honor the men and women who served and gave their lives in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The memorial identifies three fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War: Norman A. Grammer,  Larry M. Mason , and  Walter C. Velvet, Jr . A large American flag flies over the memorial, which is located at West Main and Burt Streets. Visitors can also visit the World War I Monument nearby.

Korea and Vietnam Wars Memorial

Suffolk, Virginia

The Suffolk Korea and Vietnam Wars Memorial is the first of four memorials to veterans in the median strip known as Monument Alley on Mahan Street outside the entrance to Cedar Hill Cemetery.  Nearby are memorials for World War I, World War II, and the Spanish-American War.  Each memorial is about six feet tall and in the shape of a tombstone. A bald eagle with wings outstretched is etched at the top of the Korea and Vietnam Memorial. American Legion Post 57, V.F.W. Post 2582, and the citizens of Suffolk erected the monument “In memorial to all veterans of Suffolk who honorably served their country in Korea and Vietnam. And to those who suffered and died to gain an everlasting peace." Designed to be viewed by car from the cobblestone lane, the memorials also offer enough walking space on the median for closer reading.

Vietnam Veterans of America Monument

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Tidewater Chapter 48 of the Vietnam Veterans of America erected this monument in 2011 in the William “Billy” Myers, Sr. Veterans Memorial Park. The monument evokes a tombstone, with square tiles commemorating each soldier who lost their life. Family, friends, and service members individually selected the words for each tile, personalizing their memories. The monument exists in a reflective garden commemorating other military disputes and specific military branches. Tree coverage and walking paths encircle the Vietnam monument. 

Within the memorial garden, all additional monuments are within walking distance and wheelchair accessible:  Remember the Sacrifice, Disabled American Veterans Past, Present, and Future, Disabled American Veterans Past, Present, and Future (different one), The Military Order of the World Wars, VFW Veterans Memorial, River Rats, and Oceana High School Veterans Memorial. Veterans Memorial Park is visible from 19th Street and Jefferson Avenue, although the Vietnam Monument is best seen on foot. 

-Eli Munoz, HIST 300

Veterans War Memorial

Cape Charles, Virginia

The Veterans War Memorial was installed in 1989 and dedicated by the American Legion Northampton Post 56. (The American Legion was founded after World War I and advocated for the help and support of every generation of veterans and their families.) Located at the intersection of Mason Avenue and Pine Street in Cape Charles, the memorial is situated in the middle of the downtown area with lovely trees and plenty of space. This memorial honors people from Northampton County who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Resembling the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., the obelisk represents local servicemen in each war on its four sides. Vietnam can be found on the side of the memorial when facing the water along with those who served in Korea.

Those from Northampton County honored for their Vietnam service include: Eugene B. Mapp;  W.T. Brickhouse, Jr .; Harry L. Bowen, Sr.; B.B. Downing, Jr.;  Willie Lee James ; James R. Chapman; Charles Etz; and Denis Wood.

-Elinora Dunn, HIST 205

Accomack County Virginia World War II, Korea, and Vietnam

Town of Accomac, Virginia

The Accomack County Courthouse sits at the corner of Front Street and Courthouse Avenue surrounded by an expanse of grass. A plaque on the building's front entry wall reads, “In Honor of the Men of Accomack County Who Died in the Service of Our Country in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.” The Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion funded the plaque to join a World War I memorial plaque on the opposite side of the front door. Accomack County lost ten citizens fighting in the Vietnam War. Their names are  Jerry C. Burkhead , Michael Dorn, Herbert B. East Jr.,  Warren R. Eskridge ,  George L. Kellam,   Henry J. O’Kusky Jr ,  Ralph H. Reid ,  Clifford Grady Rhodes ,  Edmund B. Scarborough ,  William David Wessells,  and  James Williams. 

The monument is wheelchair accessible with street parking immediately adjacent to the courthouse. Within a short drive are eight other historic locations and markers covering over three hundred years of local history.

Jerry Clark Burkhead "Freedom is Never Free" Memorial

Accomack County, Virginia

In 1968, twenty-one year-old Marine Corporal Jerry C. Burkhead of Accomack County was killed in action during the Tet Offensive at Khe Sanh Combat Base, South Vietnam in what is known as the Battle for Hill 64. In 2016, Burkhead’s older sister Shirley Johnson led efforts to honor his memory, Accomack County veterans, and everyone who died at Hill 64. The memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2017. 

The Jerry Clark Burkhead “Freedom Is Never Free” Memorial is a pavilion enclosing a black granite marker inscribed with an image of Burkhead, as well as the medals he received, biographical information, and his birth and death dates. Also on the marker are the names of all the U.S. Marine Corps casualties from the Battle for Hill 64 on February 8, 1968, as well as a quote from Burkhead’s commanding officer.

Those from Accomack County who died in Vietnam include  Jerry C. Burkhead ; Michael Dorn; Herbert B. East, Jr.;  Warren R. Eskridge ;  George L. Kellam ;  Henry J. O'Kusky, Jr. ;  Ralph H. Reid ;  Clifford Grady Rhodes ;  Edmund B. Scarborough ;  William David Wessells ;  and James Williams .

Men who died with Jerry Burkhead defending Hill 64 are  Barrett, Michael Barry;   Clemson, Gerald Richard ;  Colegate, William Karl ;  Craig, Thomas R Jr;   Dickie, Guy Douglas;   Fordham, Kenneth Charles;   Glasper, William Lawrence ;  Handley, Anthony William;   Jackson, Leonard Jr ;  Lewer, Thomas Charles ;  McDaniel, Roy Dean ;  McKinley, Allen;   McKinney, Bernard B Jr;   Morden, Robert Nelson ;  Murphy, Patrick Michael;   Pembleton, Ronald Lee;   Pondoff, John Christopher ;  Rizzo, James Patrick ;  Roach, Terence Raymond;   Rountree, Ronald Corbin;   Scott, James Frank ;  Skuza, Arvid Burdeen;   Stewart, Tommy Lane ;  Torres, Manuel Prieto ;  Walsh, Jeffrey Michael;   York, Henry 

Vietnam War Memorial

Montross, Virginia

In 1982, the Westmoreland Ruritan Club of Montross commissioned a sculpture of a bust of a soldier on a pedestal inscribed with the names of soldiers from Westmoreland County who fought in Vietnam.  Paul Elden Jones ,  James Edward Kelly ,  Robert Eugene Lucas , and  Stanley Victor Newman  lost their lives in Vietnam. The three other pedestal sides contain the names of local soldiers who served but were not killed in action during the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War Memorial is a likeness of an average American soldier. It stands in front of the Courthouse at the intersection of Court Square and Kings Highway in the Town of Montross, which is promoted as the mural capital of the Northern Neck. Nearby are monuments to other American wars, as well as many other historic sites and markers representing hundreds of years of American history. A grove of evergreen trees dedicated to World War I, World War II and Korean War veterans surrounds the site. The trees were funded and continue to be maintained by the citizens of Montross, helping place the Vietnam War in a broader context. 

The list of veterans who served in Vietnam from Montross are Charles Ashton, George Ashton, James Ashton, Jerry Ashton, Lonnie Ashton, Wilson Atwell Jr., Herbert Barnes, Thomas Bass III, Stuart Bidgood, Raymond Bowen, Jacob Bowman, Thomas Bowman, James Burrell, Melvin Carey, James Clapper, Earl Clark, Lloyd Baylor, Charles Beale Jr., James Coates, Clifford Dixon, Richard Dove Sr., Charles Dyke, Ronald Elza, Richard Ferrell, William Fentress, Allen Fisher Jr., David Fisher, Gary Fisher, Carl Flemer III, Irvin Freeman, E.B. Garland, Wallace Gaskins, Berry Fillieand, Russell Gouldman, Robert G. Hayden, George W. Waughtel, Leland Griffith, James Guy, James Hackett, Charles Hardwick, Eugene Hertling Jr., Stanley Hill, William Hinson, Elton Holbrook, Danny Hughes, Alan Hundley, Alvin Hundley, James Ingram, William Jackson, George Jenkins, Lawrence Jenkins, William D. Jenkins, William Jenkins, A. Johnson, Charles Johnson Jr., Edward Johnson, Ray Johnson, William Johnson, Richard Jones, John Kelly, Edward Knight, Charles Lee, Palmer Lowery, Raymond Meeks, Durwood Minor, Thomas Minor, William Mudd, Jack Newman, Lloyd Oliff, Carey Parker III, Yvonne Pateman, Lawrence Perry, Thomas Perry, James Pearson, Robert Pearson, James Phillips, James Pipes, Larry Pipes, Joseph Reamy, Stanley Reamy, Charles Reed Jr., William Reed, William Rollins, Albert Roy, Gary Sanders, Jiles Scates, John Self, Raymond Self Jr., Clarence Sipe, Robert Smith Jr., Sylvester Smith, Martha Stanton, Doug. Stoneburner, James Sutherland, Lemerle Trader, James Trotter, Ralph Trowbridge, James Wessner, Edison Willis, Richard Wilson, Thomas Wise, Wayne Wright, Robert Zier, Leslie White Jr., Earl. S. Wise

Korean and Vietnam Wars Memorial

Heathsville, Virginia

The Korean and Vietnam Wars Memorial in Heathsville is located on Northumberland County Courthouse Square.  The tree covered square has ample parking for the administrative offices on site, and includes several other monuments to the Civil War, Freedom for Slaves of Robert Carter III, World War I, and World War II.  From the street, the trees draw the eye, and an obelisk for Civil War soldiers sits at the center of a circular walkway leading from the street to the courthouse. Walking up to the building, the plaque for Korea and Vietnam is to the right of the stairs. The granite plaque is several feet wide and a little over two feet tall, filling the space beneath the balcony. It is readable from ground level with paved pathways crossing right in front of the stone marker. It reads: “A Tribute to Those from Northumberland County Who Lost Their Lives” followed by each war and the names of local casualties. Northumberland servicemen who died in Vietnam are  Hovey R. Curry ,  William L. Hudnall ,  Grady R. Lester Jr. , and Raymond G. Norris.

Spotsylvania County Honor Roll

Spotsylvania County, Virginia

The Spotsylvania County “Honor Roll” is located on the grounds of the Spotsylvania Courthouse. The names of soldiers who were killed in action from World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam are included on a plaque mounted on a brick base on the courthouse lawn next to a marker dedicated to the Civil War Battle of Spotsylvania. Dedicated in 1969 by American Legion Post 320, the memorial plaque includes the inscription “To Honor the Men of Spotsylvania County Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice That We Might Be Free.” Its inclusion on the lawn alongside markers to other historical eras helps to place the Vietnam War in a broader historical context.

 Clifton B. Bergman ,  Hiram E. Edenton, Jr. , and  Richard R. Woodward  are memorialized on the plaque.

Quantico Marine Base

Quantico, Virginia

As an active U.S. Marine Corps base, Quantico contains many sites of remembrance and honor for individual Marines, groups of Marines, and the conflicts in which they served. Marines played a significant role in the Vietnam War, with over 13,000 Marines killed and more than 88,000 wounded. They provided air support, engaged in counterinsurgency, and assisted with the evacuations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Saigon, Vietnam in spring 1975. Amongst the memorials at Quantico is one for the 1 ^st  Battalion 7 ^th  Marines, of whom 566 died during the Vietnam War in such actions as Operations Starlite, Piranha, and Harvest Moon. The VMFA-333 squadron history memorial includes its time in Vietnam: the squadron was the first to successfully destroy a MiG-21 in aerial combat near Hanoi in 1972. The India & Mike Companies, 3 ^rd  Battalion 26 ^th  Marine Regiment, who defended Hill 881 South for four months against superior enemy forces, has a memorial as well.  The location photo honors men of the First Marine Division who lost their lives in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia.

Many of these memorials are grouped together outside of the National Museum of the Marine Corps on a path that extends past the museum from the parking lot. Numerous other memorials, monuments, and locations of remembrance for Marines in Vietnam exist throughout the military base. Visitors are advised that this is an active military site, but visitors to the museum and monuments are welcome.

Hanover Veterans Memorial

Hanover County, Virginia

Dedicated on May 28, 2007 to a crowd of over one thousand, the Hanover Veterans Memorial stands in recognition of Hanover residents who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country, as well as those uniformed servicemen and women who have defended America's freedom. Located at Hanover Wayside Park, its installation represented the culmination of years of careful work between county governance and community members to plan, design, fundraise, and erect a veterans memorial without utilizing taxpayer dollars. The memorial is located on a walking trail with picnic areas, a playground, and other amenities nearby.

The memorial consists of a path of donated brick pavers engraved with names of veterans, which is flanked by benches inscribed with core values of service. This path leads to the central wall of the memorial where five granite slabs bear the names of Hanover Veterans who died in service in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and subsequent conflicts, respectively. Eagles are perched at each end of the central wall, as symbols of American strength. A plaque stands in front of a flagpole in front of the wall inscribed with “We honor all who served.” The slab headed “Vietnam” bears the names of nine veterans:  Chartier, Raymond A.  •  Lewis, Arthur  •  Lingle, Joseph M. Jr.  •  Monaghan, John J.  •  Starkes, Robert B. Jr.  •  Taylor, Howard F.  •  Vassey, George C.  •  Vencill, Eddie W.  •  Whitlock, Harry O., Jr. 

-August Taylor, HIST 300

Virginia War Memorial

Richmond, Virginia

The  Virginia War Memorial  is a museum and shrine dedicated to all Virginians who have served in the U.S. armed forces with a special focus on service members from World War II to the present.

Built in 1955, the site includes the Shrine of Memory, a large Greek-inspired pavilion overlooking the James River in downtown Richmond. It is engraved with the names of over 12,000 Virginians who died as a result of hostile action. Etched on glass walls, the Vietnam section was dedicated in 1981 with General William Westmoreland, who had commanded American forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968, in attendance. There are 1,303 Vietnam War casualties listed, arranged by county and city and then alphabetically, dramatizing the impact of the war on individual communities. Keeping watch over them is Memory, a twenty-two foot marble statue of a grieving woman illuminated by an eternal flame. The Shrine is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.

The Memorial’s motto is “Honoring our Veterans, Preserving our History, Educating our Youth, and Inspiring Patriotism in All.” The Virginia War Memorial Foundation operates the site, which, in addition to the Shrine, also includes a museum, veterans’ art gallery, archives and collections, an auditorium, and outdoor amphitheater. Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, the Memorial is free to visitors. There is ample parking and the site is fully accessible for its many events.

Veterans Memorial Wall

Chesterfield, Virginia

The Chesterfield County Veterans Memorial Wall surrounds Chesterfield County Courthouse Square, now a historic site and museum after construction of the modern courthouse nearby. Inside the brick wall are benches and a shaded lawn for community gatherings and visitor contemplation. Facing the lawn are plaques dedicated to the veterans of each war from the Revolution to the modern era. Plaques were funded by various community groups and join a tall pillar and statue dedicated to Chesterfield soldiers in World War I. Vietnam is represented by a bronze plaque with a simple inscription, “Vietnam War, 1960- 1975" through the donations of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Thacker, Sr.

Vietnam joins centuries of history remembered and celebrated inside the 1917 Courthouse. Rotating exhibits and the jailhouse museum join a Civil War Trails marker, a Confederate memorial, information on the construction of the construction, and local history to preserve the memory of Chesterfield residents. Soldiers and their sacrifices are honored by every visitor who must pass through the Veterans Memorial Wall to enter the site.

Henrico County Veterans Memorial

Varina, Virginia

The Veteran Memorial in Henrico County was created to show gratitude for all of the veterans from the area who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Lebanon and Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, and the War on Terror. This memorial was created in 2002 by members of the community under sponsorship of Varina Ruritan, American Legion Post 233, and American Legion Auxiliary-Unit 233. On top of a stone base is an irregularly shaped pillar containing the seals of each military branch, and an inscription that ends with “Let us strive to see that the same spirit of self-sacrifice is cultivated in peace as it has been in war.”

This memorial is significant to this area as many veterans who fought in the Vietnam War were originally from this area of the Commonwealth. There are at least eight other markers within a two-mile radius that honor veterans. This marker is located underneath the flagpoles of Varina Elementary School at the intersection of New Market and Gregg Roads. This is a special place for the markers to sit, because it allows young students to see a piece of history in their everyday lives and offers an opportunity for classes to take a mini field trip to the front of their school for hands-on learning.

-Mary-Beth Previs, HIST 205

Colonial Heights War Memorial

Colonial Heights, Virginia

The Colonial Heights War Memorial is located near the intersection of Boulevard (U.S. 1) and Lafayette Avenue in Colonial Heights across from the Colonial Heights Courthouse. The memorial was sponsored by the Colonial Heights Post 284 of the American Legion. Dedicated in the year 1950, this public memorial seeks to remember World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The inscription reads: “Dedicated in memory of the men of Colonial Heights who gave their lives in the service of their country.” Colonial Heights residents killed in the Vietnam War are  Merrill Barnes ,  Thomas L. O’Steen, Jr ., and  Robert A. McGill .

The memorial sits in a small concrete square connecting to Lafayette Avenue’s sidewalk, and is wheelchair accessible with a ramp to the sidewalk directly in front of the memorial. It is surrounded by bushes and flowers and has a hedge behind it. The memorial has a lamp post to its left and an American flag behind it. Colonial Heights holds an annual service on Memorial Day at 10:00 a.m in remembrance.  

-Lex Krauchunas, HIST 300

Veterans Memorial

Charles City, Virginia

The Charles City County Veterans Memorial, located near the historic courthouse at the intersection of Courthouse Road and Watermelon Fields Road, was created to honor local residents who died in conflicts during the 20th century. Dedicated to those who fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, it identifies those who died in each conflict. For the Vietnam War, that is Russell B. Barbour, Jr. Visitors to the memorial can expect a peaceful, beautifully landscaped setting that invites reflection on the cost of freedom and the courage of those who served. Each year, a community rededication ceremony fosters remembrance and unity, ensuring the legacy of Charles City County’s veterans endures for generations.

-Maggie Long, HIST 205

Vietnam Memorial Veterans Park

Williamsburg, Virginia

This Vietnam Memorial stands tall in Veterans Park on Ironbound Road (formerly Mid County Park) in James City County. It was erected in 1993 by Williamsburg resident David Hooker who wanted to honor those from the area who fought and died in the war. The inscription “To Those Who Made The Ultimate Sacrifice…May We Never Forget” is followed by the names of eighteen local Vietnam casualties along with their branch of service. 

There are about eight different memorials within three miles from this one in Veterans Park. While none of the others are directly associated with the Vietnam War, some are in remembrance of all military veterans. The memorial itself is surrounded by a large park that holds nature trails and athletic spaces. The park is also home to Kidsburg, giving it the feeling of youth and joy in the wake of this memorial. 

Every year the county holds an event on Veterans Day where the citizens come together in remembrance of those who gave all. This tradition began as a one-time event but was designated an annual event by the Vietnam War Recognition Act of 2017. It includes giving veterans of the era and surviving spouses lapel pins in remembrance.  

The fallen soldiers are:  SSGT Talmadge Horton Alphin, Jr.;   PFC Kernell P. Bradsby, USA;   MAJ Herbert P. Hambly, USA  ;  SSGT John R. Chapman, USA  ;  SP 4 Raymond P. De Luca, USA  ;  1/LT Arthur Lee Galloway, Jr., USA  ;  1/LT Douglas B. Green, III, USA   ;  SP 4 Charles C. Hale Jr., USA  ;  SP 4 Dan S. Hicks, USA ;  CPL William E. Koehler, USMC ;  CPT Glenn D. Mann, USMC ;  SFC Angelo F. Michelle, USA ;  CPT Denis Nicholas, USA ;  1/LT Terry A. Palm, USA ;  CPT Charles M. Sheldon, USA ;  SP 5 William L. Stewart, Jr., USA ;  LCDR George F. Talken, USN  ; and  FSGT Harden B. Walker, USA  

-Payten Broderick, HIST 300

Vietnam War Memorial, Virginia State Monument

Newport News, Virginia

The Vietnam War Monument in Newport News sits near the grounds of the Virginia War Museum. Created in 1992 by a partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Vietnam War Monument Foundation, the monument honors “the living, missing, and dead from the Vietnam War, 1959-1975.” 

The Memorial is an obelisk emblazoned with the emblems of four service branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and the POW/MIA emblem. It is inscribed “We Honor Those Who Gave Their Best.” Nearby is the Virginia State Monument, a cement pillar topped by an eternal flame, symbolizing vigilance for those missing in action who have yet to return, and a hope for peace to those killed in action. The monument aims "to help heal America's wounds from this war," and hopes that it can be used as a place where present and future generations of Americans can come together in remembrance.

Veterans Memorial

Newport News, Virginia

Erected by the Braxton-Perkins Post 25 of the American Legion, this memorial is dedicated to the “Veterans of World Wars I, II, Korean, and Vietnam.” The granite plaque rests at ground level in front of a flag pole at the edge of a section within Greenlawn Cemetery, and the American flag greeting all visitors with a reminder of military sacrifice. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places as the first public cemetery of Newport News, the site of a Civil War era mass grave, and approximately 20,000 burials with distinctive sections for various local groups. The Veterans’ Memorial is just inside the 28 ^th  Street entrance to the left. The main avenues of the cemetery permit vehicular traffic, including right up to the Veterans Memorial.  Several historic houses and memorials, including the Newsome House, the Winfield-Jones House, Confederate Dead, the Brown Center, and the Newport News POW Camp are all within a quarter mile of the marker.

York County War Monument

Yorktown, Virginia

The York County War Monument is located outside of York Hall in York County at the intersection of Main Street and Ballard Street. The obelisk, built on May 17, 2001 by the York County Historical Committee, honors all residents of the York County area who died in military service. The monument is made of marble and has four sides, each containing the names of those men who died in service. Bacon’s Rebellion, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the War on Terror are all included in chronological order. Over one hundred names are listed, including seventeen who fought in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975.  Those who died in Vietnam are featured on the east side of the monument and include  Arthur Lee Galloway Jr. ,  Douglas Warren Hogge ,  Richard Thomas Huggett ,  Maryus Napoleon Jones , Paul Adams Meyer,  Robert Eugene Moss , David Bland Owen,  Rodney Glenn Oxendine ,  Gilbert Wayne Page ,  Herbert Joseph Parzynski ,  James Doil Rader ,  Melvin Douglas Rash , Albert Merrel Sinnet,  Alenn Merritt Tate , Horace Vernon Lindsay,  Denis Nicholas , and Norman Russell Evans. 

Nearby are other historical markers, mainly for Revolutionary events. The inclusion of this monument to military casualties in Vietnam includes their sacrifice and public memory in the greater narrative of York County. The site is wheelchair accessible from the rear entrance to York Hall, with six steps off of Main Street sidewalk, and visible to vehicular traffic along Main Street.

-Emily Mainwaring, HIST 300

Naval Weapons Station

Yorktown, Virginia

Part of a larger public history installation for York County, the Naval Weapons Station plaque discusses the history of the naval site. Acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1918, the “U.S. Navy Mine Depot” as it was then known, supported World War I operations through the largest naval installation in the world. Production on site for wartime materials fluctuated according to military requirements. The Depot was renamed to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in 1958, after which it supported troops in Korea and Vietnam. Today, the military post supports the Atlantic Fleet.

Nearby are at least eight other historic markers and panels, tracing York County’s history from English colonization to the present day often with a focus on maritime activities. The paved path is wheelchair accessible and provides a picturesque view of the York River. The naval station has moved inland, leaving a planned Riverwalk from the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown towards the Route 17 bridge and other historic sites in Yorktown. 

U.S. Army Transportation Museum

Newport News, Virginia

The  U.S. Army Transportation Museum  is a military museum located at Fort Eustis-Langley (previously Fort Eustis), the headquarters of the Army Transportation Corps. Founded during World War II, the Army Transportation Corps continued to train servicemen in rail, marine, and other transportation methods during the Vietnam War. The museum features U.S. Army vehicles and transportation equipment and memorabilia from the Revolutionary era to the present. Over one hundred military vehicles are spread across the six-acre site.

The museum's Vietnam War exhibit features the only surviving M54 gun truck (known by its crew as "Eve of Destruction"), a UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, and Viet Cong bicycles. Entrance to the museum is free, but it is on the active military site and requires a check-in at the guard station. Two plaques on the exterior wall of the museum honor those who served in Vietnam: one “in memory of Transporters killed in combat operations since 31 July 1942” including Vietnam, and the other a memorial to all veterans and those “who remain Missing in Action of Prisoners of War.”

F-105D Thunderchief

Hampton, Virginia

While the plaque has since been removed, the F-105D Thunderchief remains on display in Air Power Park.  Located in Hampton on Mercury Boulevard, the fifteen-acre park is an outdoor museum with numerous air and spacecraft recognizing the city’s role in early American space exploration and aviation testing. The F-105D, or “Thud” as it was called at the time, “served as the primary attack aircraft in the Vietnam War” where over half of the 800 aircraft produced were lost. 

Visitors to the park can expect numerous other aircraft similar to the F-105D, however, they were not all used in the Vietnam War. Cold War era aircraft such as the F-89J Scorpion and Nike-Ajax surface-to-air missile can be found almost directly next to the plane. There is also information about the development of the American space program nearby at the Langley Research Center.

-August Kuhn, HIST 300

Veterans Memorial

Mathews, Virginia

The granite pillar faced with a bronze plaque sits at the center of a circular plaza approaching the entrance of Mathews County Circuit Court on Buckley Hall Road. The parking lot provides direct access to the memorial, including wheelchair accessibility. Placed at the geographical center of the county in 1953, the pillar originally listed the forty men known at the time to have died in World War II. The site was rededicated with a new plaque on Veterans Day 2003 by American Legion Post 83. Today, the plaque honors “the memory of the men from Mathews County who gave their lives in wars and conflicts of the twentieth century.” Those who died in World War I, World War II, South Korea, and South Vietnam are remembered by name and military branch. Those killed in Vietnam are  Terry Hudgins Brooks ,  James Harold Callis , and  Alvin Garvie Morris , all of whom served in the U.S. Army.

River Rats

Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter Gamewardens of Vietnam Association created the “River Rats” historical marker to honor the fallen members of the United States River Patrol Force. The Gamewardens of Vietnam Association remembers those who served in the U.S. Brown Water Navy in Operation Game Warden, and is the oldest continuously operating Vietnam Veterans Group in the country. The River Patrol Force operated in Vietnam as a part of Task Force 116. 

The memorial itself is a plaque “In memory of our fallen Shipmates of the River Patrol Force, known as the 'River Rats' a Unit of the Brown Navy of Vietnam,” along with engravings of the Task Force 116 Patch, the Purple Heart, and the symbol of the Mid Atlantic Chapter of the Game Wardens of Vietnam Association. This memorial is located within the Bill Myers Veterans Memorial Park, which features a number of other memorials, including one honoring Pearl Harbor survivors, an American Revolutionary War monument, and markers for Disabled American Veterans. The memorial is wheelchair accessible and best viewed from the dedicated path amongst the memorials.

-Max Bendsen, HIST 300