Oregon XV

South Eugene High School lost 11 of her own in Vietnam.

In about 2005 it was decided that they should be remembered. A classmate and war vet wanted to remember his friends and place a plaque in a garden area at the front of the school. There was some concern that a memorial might glorify war, but the vet himself had joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War upon his return and wanted the memorial to not only honor his lost friends but serve, too as a constant reminder of the real costs of war.

The day I was there the weather was dismal: cold, rainy, just unpleasant, but it was the day I had, so I took some pics and hoped for the best.

As you can see, the rain made clear pics nearly impossible. This one of the problems I often encounter. Many of these memorials are designed to be reflective, to draw you in, to force you to see yourself and think. On the other hand, when it is raining, especially, the reflections actually obscure the memorial itself. I have been fighting this battle for years now and have not found a satisfactory solution.

Here are the names that are so hard to read on the plaque:

 WILLIAM R. ANDREWS
ROBERT K. COLLINS
JAMES W. CARTWRIGHT
WILLIAM G. MUIR
CARL F. LOUVRING
WILLIAM A. BECKWITH
ARTHUR A. ERWIN
KREG A. VIESTENZ
DENNIS E. MICKELSON
CARLTON COE GRAY
JAMES R. COLZ

The people at the High School were very nice, receptive and interested in my project and we visited fro quite some time. I noted that none of them were old enough to remember any of the students or, for that matter, Vietnam. Time passes making this project and journey, at least to me, even more important.

Next time, on the 29th, we will take another look at Pennsylvania, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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