Dunwoody’s Mayor and City Council will join the Vietnamese American Community of Georgia (VAC-GA) and the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association (AVVBA) for the dedication ceremony for the new Vietnam War Memorial on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. Located in Brook Run Park near the existing DeKalb Veterans Memorial, the new monument features an American Infantry soldier and a soldier from the former republic of South Vietnam standing side by side.
“There is a deep desire among the Vietnamese American people and the American soldiers who fought in Vietnam to honor both the South Vietnamese soldiers and the American soldiers who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom from Communism in Vietnam,” said John Butler, project director for the AVVBA. “We can’t wait to unveil and share this important and meaningful memorial.”
The VAC-GA and the AVVBA are partners on this project. The monument, funded entirely through private donations, features life-sized bronze statues of two soldiers, one from the U.S. and one from Vietnam, located in the center of an oval plaza. Behind the statues are two large memorial walls honoring both Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam. The plaza is surrounded by black granite benches.
This is the only memorial like it in the U.S. created as a partnership between Vietnamese Refugees and U.S. Veterans who fought in Vietnam. The dedication ceremony will include two featured speakers. One is Lapthe Chau Flora, U.S. Army Major General (Ret), who escaped Communist Vietnam in 1980 as a child with his family in a boat. The other is Ron Helmly, Lieutenant. General US Army (Ret.), who served two tours in Vietnam and later served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Live music will be provided by the Golden Eagles Band from the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia. A Huey helicopter that served in combat in Vietnam will be on display.
“Most of our members were born in South Vietnam and came to America after the fall of Saigon, risking their lives to escape to America,” explained TraMy Nguyen, project director for VAC-GA. “This memorial will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices of the past and the price of freedom.”
A total of more than 300,000 Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans lost their lives in the Vietnam War. It is hoped that this monument will serve as a lasting reminder of those men and women from two very different lifestyles and cultures who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. For more information or to donate, go to www.VNWarMemorial.org.
“We’re honored that the AVVBA and VAC-GA chose Dunwoody and beautiful Brook Run Park for this memorial, which will make a lasting impression on all who visit,” said Dunwoody Parks and Recreation Director Rachel Waldron. “The Dunwoody City Council voted unanimously to host the memorial, and we’ve enjoyed supporting this moving project.”
