Military Park Vietnam War Memorial “Brothers in Arms” Monument
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Clear, 85°
“Travel has a way of stretching the mind.”
Driving around in Oklahoma City seeing the various areas going through growth and revitalization projects, it was nice to see areas coming back to life after many businesses had closed. Many mom & pop eateries and shops were thriving, giving a great feeling of renewed energy in several areas of the city.
In 1975, thousands of South Vietnamese refugees fleeing the Vietnam War made their new home in Oklahoma City, creating not only the thriving Asian District but a new life among “brothers” of the war.
Brothers in Arms
In this Community, the Asian locals started fundraising for the Memorial. The Monument is a bronze statue depicting an armed American and South Vietnamese soldier, standing back-to-back, in combat uniform, and representing the unity of brother warriors in battle.
It is the centerpiece on the Plaza of Flags, and rests on a raised concrete pedestal base, surrounded by flowers, wreathes, and a large ceremonial urn. Etched on the base is: “COUNTRY HONOR DUTY Vietnam War Memorial 1955- 1975”
Country Honor Duty
The Monument is the work of Thomas Jay Warren, and the vision of Vinh Nguyen, the Chairperson of the Oklahoma City Vietnamese-American Community. Mr. Nguyen served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the South Vietnamese Army during the war, and led a fundraising campaign to raise $250,000 for the Monument and flag plaza. In 2014, the OKC City Council passed a resolution supporting a Memorial at Military Park. The Monument was installed on July 6, 2017 and a dedication ceremony was held on July 8, 2017. The public unveiling ceremony featured a presentation of the U.S and South Vietnam Flags, a live performance of the National Anthem, and other patriotic and Vietnamese music.
Plaque
The Monument is dedicated to the memory of American and South Vietnamese military personnel who served and died during the Vietnam War. It is a tribute to the sacrifices of the some 3.4 million Americans who served in Southeast Asia between 1965-1975; and most particularly to the over 58,200 military personnel who died, including some 989 Oklahoma veterans, and the over 153,300 wounded and hospitalized, during the War.
With Both Countries Flags
It is equally a tribute to the sacrifices of some 254,000 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) who were killed, and the estimated 355,000 South Vietnamese civilians who were killed in a two-decade conflict against the North Vietnamese communist regime and insurgent communist forces in South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese military and civilian populations were in a struggle for their freedom a decade before the entry of the United States into the War.
Walking up to the statues to take photos I noticed that someone had left a pair of military combat boots on the sidewalk a few feet from the Memorial adding to the impact of seeing soldiers from both Armies, in a back to back pose conveying the “I have your back” philosophy in war.
Boots left at Memorial
The Memorial was nicely done in a concept that gives food for thought in the healing process of our two countries.