Delaware XVII

About 5 miles southwest of Wilmington, Delaware is Newport and I had heard or read that there was a memorial there. So, on a recent trip to the area I decided to check it out.

As luck would have it when it came to writing about it, I could find absolutely nothing. I had my pics, but no information.

Not one to give up easily, I searched and searched my various sites to gather some information. Nothing. So, I began to wonder how it was that I even knew to go see it? I could not find a trace of it in my notes etc., but the info had to be somewhere.

Happily, in stumbling around the internet I was able to discover that it was originally a Pearl Harbor Memorial.

Note that the weapon is sinking to the left.

 

Dedicated on December 7th, 2014 it includes a number of markers to a number of our Nation's wars.

 Vietnam is among them.

I found it interesting that the dates and the numbers seem to date from The Gulf of Tonkin era. This is not too uncommon although I am never sure why this happens. We had had soldiers in 'Nam for nine years by 1964, the first of which was killed in 1956 and the final total of those lost is 58, 279.

 I have written before about what sometimes seems to be an effort to rewrite history, often, it seems, to blame Kennedy or Johnson for our involvement in Vietnam. I could be very wrong but it often feels as if there is a political agenda behind these efforts. As I said, I could be wrong, I hope so.

This memorial may be found at the intersection of E. Market Street and S. Augustin Street in Newport.

Next time, on the 29th, we will return to Florida, so join me there at 9:00am.

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

Delaware XVI

I returned to Brandywine Park in Delaware on my most recent trip to the state. I was drawn by the statue of the African American Medal of Honor recipients just a short walk from the Vietnam memorial in the same park.

The memorial to the MOH awardees is located on the corner of Baynard Avenue and 18th Street.

 There are two soldiers depicted by the statues, one, William H. Carvey was the first African American ever awarded the MOH in 1863. 

The other, Milton L. Olive was the first African American awardee in Vietnam.

Olive, at the time just 18 years old, grabbed a grenade thrown at his group and fell upon it, saving the lives of all his comrades.

The memorial constructed in 1998 has a number of plaques around its base listing all the African American recipients of the nation's highest honor, here are just a few.

Next time, on the 15th, we will return to Florida, so join me there at 9:00am.

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

North Carolina X

Wilmington, N.C.is such a beautiful city, I think I could very easily live there.

It, also, has two Vietnam memorials at least one of which I will share with you today.

Located along the river front it is in the center of one of the highly visited areas of the city.

It is called the Rolling Thunder Veterans Memorial as it was sponsored by the veterans advocacy group and is located along Water Street along the Cape Fear River.

To read more about this site, go here:

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091114/articles/911149987Completed in 2009, it honors many, but was built by Vietnam vets.

 

Our next stop, om the 13th, will once again be in Oregon, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

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

Delaware

Delaware, like others, has no official memorial, but each of her three counties have a memorial. The final one was dedicated, in Dover, this past Veteran's Day. This one, located in Wilmington is dedicated to all 166 Delawareans who perished.

Again, the theme of comrade helping comrade dominates the site.

Each of the heroes names are listed on the base of the monument. In addition, each of the official seals of the branches of the military are prominently displayed.

The memorial is located in Brandywine Park on Washington Street, adjacent to the Zoo. Brandywine Park is, also, the home of the African American Medal of Honor Winners memorial.