Vietnam Veterans Memorial Proclamation
WHEREAS, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982, fulfilling one veteran’s promise to never forget those who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War; and WHEREAS, the key element of architect Maya Lin’s design is the shiny black granite wall in a wide “V” shape that continues to be a symbol of enduring legacy healing and education; and WHEREAS, the two 200-foot-long sections that make up the wall contain more than 58,000 names; and WHEREAS, one section of the wall is directed toward the Lincoln Memorial, and the other section is toward the Washington Memorial; and WHEREAS, seventy separate panels make up each section of the “V” shape; and WHEREAS, the Veterans Names are listed in chronological order by the date of their death and begin and end at the center of the memorial where the two sections meet; and WHEREAS, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial soon became one of the most visited memorials in the nation's capital; and WHEREAS, the faces of visitors are reflected in the wall, connecting with the those who died in combat or are listed as missing in action; and WHEREAS, about 2.7 million US service members served in Vietnam; and WHEREAS, the United States military involvement in the Vietnam war officially began on August 5, 1964; and WHEREAS, during the war more than 58,000 US military members lost their lives and 153,000 were wounded; and WHEREAS, there were 776 Prisoners of War, 114 of whom died in captivity.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that I Mayor Dion Bailey, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Hercules, do hereby proclaim November 13, 2022, as the Fortieth Anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial on the Washington Mall.
BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED, this memorial that has been called “a community of feelings, almost a sacred precinct,” and declared by a Veteran that “it’s the parade we never got.” The Memorial wall draws together both those who fought and those who marched against the war and served to promote national healing a decade after the divisive conflict’s end. ___________________________
Dion Bailey, Mayor