Virginia's Vietnam War
Monument
Newport
News, Virginia
Building the Virginia State
Vietnam War Monument was just as controversial as the acceptance of the
Wall in Washington D.C. Gary Adams, a local Vietnam veteran, visualized
the monument built in Newport News. One of the strongest reasons was because
of the Victory Arch located in downtown Newport News.
But there was a strong
opposition to building another monument near the Victory Arch. The WWII
veterans wanted the Arch to be left alone, concerned that building another
monument there would attract more interest and thus turning the area into
a memorial “park”.
However many meetings
and newspaper articles would pass before the Vietnam veterans won a major
battle as the City Council and the Community welcomed and approved of the
idea of building a monument at the Arch. Still the older veterans balked
at this idea.
On April 23, 1986 the
Vietnam War Monument Foundation was formed and Willis Darden Jr., was elected
their first chairman. In the aftermath of all the controversy about where
the monument would be located, Huntington Park was the favored spot by
the Vietnam veterans. The monument, in the end would receive more exposure
and be more readable to the community and tourists. John Quarstein, the
Virginia War Museum's curator welcomed the idea with open arms
to add the Vietnam War Monument at Huntington Park, home of the Museum.
Not only did the Vietnam
War Monument Foundation raise money for the monument, but also local Vietnam
veteran organizations and a local POW/MIA group, Freedom Now of Virginia,
Inc. spent many years organizing fundraisers to pay for the monument, as
well as educate the public of the issues’ that concerned the veterans,
their families and friends.
Information obtained from Willis Darden Jr. 
Dedication
The
Virginia's Vietnam War Monument
Photo's
by Sweet T of the Monument and related activities
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