Massachusetts XXXVI

The last time I wrote about this site in Back Bay Fens in Boston I promised to share more from the site. You can check that post out here.

These pictures include two from the reverse of the memorial and one from the front plaza.

This is the full reverse of the memorial. I learned, many years ago, to always walk behind these memorials. More often than not, there is nothing to see, but every once in a while there is a surprise, as I discovered here.

It annoys me when I come across something like this. Here, this well known quote is attributed to anonymous. A few seconds on-line would have informed the makers of this memorial that the quote is from John S. Mill, a British politician from the 1800s. OK, so actually, in addition, it is a misquote and perhaps that is why it is not correctly attributed.

One might easily argue that it is a small thing and not worth commenting on, but I wonder if this is sloppy planning or what. I have served on committees that have built Vietnam memorials and we broke our butts trying to be accurate, to get it right. It just makes me wonder.

This map of 'Nam is on the front plaza of the site. What is hard to see are the various markings of specific places but there are several.

Next time, on the 29th of January, we will return to Michigan. So, as always, join me there at 9:00 am. 

To see Vietnam memorials from any state and Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico click on the individual names on the left side of this page.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, and Elli from Maryland, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.