New York VII

The Western New York Vietnam Monument is located on the water in Buffalo and is quite beautiful. On the corner of Erie Street and Marine Drive, it looks out over the water and honors 488 from western New York.

It was designed by a local artist, a Vietnam vet, whom I tried in vain to contact. Perhaps another time.

Oddly, the monument is so close to the water that it is a little hard to photograph. Try as I might, I could not get a complete, straight on picture, even with a fairly wide 18mm lens.

While trying to figure out how to get the best shot, I noticed that several ships were tied up at the dock and I thought if I could get on one of them, maybe I could get a better angle. I went over and talked to a guy on one of them and it turns out they were open to the public for a sizable fee. I told him what I was up to and he said "just re close anything you open" and let me proceed. A tip of the hat and my thanks to him.

From the very tip of the bow I was able to get the first shot you see in this series. Still not straight on, but I like it anyway. Below, the MIAs are given special attention at the site.

Closer inspection of the memorial showed this correction of some kind. It was difficult to tell exactly what happened, but obviously, something was changed at some point. Look closely at the word states to see.

I cannot say for sure but the soldier in the picture certainly could be Vietnamese and it seems fitting that we take a moment to remember their sacrifice as well as our own.

Next time, on the 24th, we will return to North Carolina to a small, local memorial in Laureinburg. Join me thee, as always, at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from New York, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.