Michigan III, Heck Park

The Monroe County Vietnam Memorial (not too far from Detroit) is named for Army Captain Norman W. Heck who was lost in action in 1964. This park is interesting because the people of Monroe County chose to build a memorial to all who served, and an adjacent memorial to all who perished or are MIA. In addition there is a separate memorial to the only remaining MIA from the county. Further, there is a memorial to the ever growing number of those who have perished as a result of their service and sacrifice long ago. These memorials are becoming more common as we age and the aftermath of agent orange (currently, Diabetes and 21 kinds of cancer) become recognized and take their toll as the "wounds that never heal."

The site consists, also, of two era choppers, (Huey and Cobra), the tribute to women mentioned earlier on this site, a memorial to Clergy, and the "Chained Eagle" representing the need for a full accounting of POW/MIAs.

A unique feature is that the Clergy memorial depicts an impromptu "alter" of stacked C-ration boxes.

In an effort to make the park more family friendly, a museum has been added and a playground and picnic area. The museum was closed on the day that I visited.

You can find additional details here;

http://www.vietnamveterans142.org/Heck%20Park.htm

The address is;

Captain Norman W. Heck Park
1095 North Dixie Highway (near Interstate 75)
Monroe, Michigan 48162

This is a lovely and fitting tribute to Captain Heck as well as all others who served and I recommend that you visit if in the area.

As I posted the pictures from this site, I realized that I have many more than is allowed per post, so I will post the others on the next page.