Pennsylvania XVII

I have posted about the Philadelphia Vietnam Memorial a couple of times in the past. Last time, I reported that it had been partially torn down due to illicit activity within its bounds.

Well, over the 4th of July weekend, I returned to Philly to see the NEW memorial and I could not have been more pleased.

I always loved the original and was worried about what might happen to it in a renovation, but I needn't have been concerned. It is back and in my opinion better than ever.

Originally, it was a fairly enclosed space with a Wall for names in an amphitheater like setting. With your back to the Wall of names, you could sit upon the shallow "steps" and gaze at the several "Day in the life" scenes etched upon the opposite wall.

This as aforementioned created a closed space in which stuff could happen.

I rolled through Philly a couple of years ago to find the Wall of scenes torn down and much construction going on. I didn't know what to expect.

So, I returned and I think they did a great job. The site is more open and accessible.

The Wall has been opened up, seemingly rolled back, making the whole place, truthfully, more inviting.

Several features have been added, too and I will address them in a later post, for now, I am just thrilled that it is back.

So, next time, on the 19th, it is back to Texas, so join me there at 9:00am.

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

Texas II

I flew in to Austin to save a few bucks and it turned out to be a better idea than I had thought.

I found this nice memorial in the Texas State Cemetery. Located at 909 Navasota Street it, too, is dedicated to the more than 500,000 Texans who served in 'Nam or the 'Nam Era. Dedicated in 2008 the memorial honors all branches of service and in researching this site I found that as of October, 2011, 130 are still MIA. This number differs from the one I mentioned in an earlier post, but it is much more recent and is the number used at the MIA remembrance day in October 2011.

This site is an historic place of honor. The memorial shares these acres with Stephan F. Austin, John B. Connolly, Warren G Harding and Tom Landry. In addition, there are a number of other memorials here to other wars and to 911.

This is a fairly small memorial and is soon to be joined in Austin by a new one on the capitol grounds. Funds raising is now going on and you can participate or just learn more about the new Texas Capitol Vietnam War Monument here; http://www.buildthemonument.org/

Come back on Feb. 6th to see a beautiful memorial in Waco. It will post, as always, at 9:00am