A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. for a new Vietnam War Memorial at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody.
Mayor Lynn Deutsch, along with city council members and other officials, will attend the event.
The memorial, which will feature bronze statues of an American Infantry soldier and a soldier from the former republic of South Vietnam standing side by side, was funded in full by private donations.
The Vietnamese American Community of Georgia (VAC-GA) and the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association (AVVBA) raised the money for the installation, which will be located about 100 feet from the DeKalb Veterans Memorial,
According to a release from the city of Dunwoody, the DeKalb Veterans Memorial will undergo renovations this year to create a more engaging and approachable experience. The two memorials will be connected by a sidewalk.
“This is a way to recognize the collective sacrifice of soldiers who lost their lives for the sake of freedom,” John Butler, project director for the AVVBA, said. “There’s no place I’d rather have this than in Dunwoody.”
More than 300,000 Vietnamese, and 58,000 American soldiers died in the Vietnam War.
“This fits hand-in-glove with everything we’re doing with our own Veterans Memorial,” Dunwoody Parks and Recreation Director Brent Walker said. “We’ve been working with both groups on a concept, and we’re honored they chose Dunwoody.”
At its May 22 meeting, the Dunwoody City Council listened to a presentation about the monument and offered suggestions about the look and feel of the memorial, which were incorporated into the final design.
For more information or to donate, go to www.VNWarMemorial.org.
