What started as a simple sketch on a napkin is now becoming a reality. After five years of planning, American Legion Post 404 has received approval to build a larger-than-life bronze Vietnam veterans memorial at Veterans Memorial Park.
The monument, designed to be a place of healing, reflection and learning, will feature statues of a diverse group of soldiers, a nurse and a German shepherd. It will sit on a circular base, two and a half feet tall and 25 feet in diameter, next to the Eagle Fountain.
“I tried to point out last night to the City Council that this particular monument is going to continue the healing process for Vietnam people,” said Rene Champagne of American Legion Post 404. “They will come here [...] you're going to see people with tears in their eyes, some flowing fairly rapidly because they have these remembrances of lost family members or friends, or maybe they participated in the war.”
Terry Kehoe, a member of Post 404, described the figures that will be represented in the memorial.
“The dog handler is Hispanic. The dog is a German shepherd,” Kehoe said. “The nurse is Caucasian. The injured person is Caucasian. And this person is Asian, Asian American.”
The other side of the statue will include a Black American machine gunner and an Indigenous American grenade launcher.
The German shepherd is meant to represent the thousands of dogs that served in Vietnam, but it is also inspired by Kehoe’s own dog, Prince.
“Well, you know, a lot of people have said, oh, this is going to be neat. You know, you'll be proud of all this, doing all this,” Kehoe said. “But what I'm really proud of, including the dog, is that they'll be here and remembered for being a soldier.”
John Apolzon, another member of Post 404, hopes the memorial will also serve as an educational tool for future generations.
“We want the school kids to come here on the island or off the island to visit this site and understand historically, you know, what happened, and get some picture of history here,” Apolzon said.
The memorial is expected to take 12 months to build, with an unveiling planned for Vietnam Veterans Day in 2026. Those interested in donating to the project can visit the American Legion Post 404 website.