A History
to Be Proud Of

The Charlottesville Dogwood Vietnam Memorial is the first Civic/Public Memorial in the United States dedicated to those who served and sacrificed their lives in the service to their country in the war in Vietnam. The Memorial was conceived and is a result of a conversation that took place in Staple's Barber Shop in Barracks Road Shopping Center in Charlottesville, Va. 

The participants of that conversation were William (Bill) C. Gentry, a real estate agent, and former radio personality; Kenneth (Ken) A. Staples and James (Jim) D. Shisler, members of the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival Board of Directors. 

The conversation took place in the fall winter of 1965, shortly after the death of Albemarle/Charlottesville's first casualty of the war in Vietnam, Champ Jackson Lawson, Jr., Specialist Four, Anny of the United States, whose date of the casualty was November 04, 1965.

The design of the Memorial was decided upon. It was to be a paved mini plaza that would include a flagpole on which would fly the flag of the United States of America. There would also be a plaque on which would be inscribed the name and purpose of the Memorial, i.e., "The Dogwood Memorial dedicated to the lasting memory of these men and all who served our country in Vietnam." The names of those who gave their lives in the war would be inscribed thereon. Following the list of casualties would be the closing statement, "And especially these from the Charlottesville and Albemarle area who gave their lives in that service." The plaza's paving would consist of materials of historic significance. Dogwood trees would be planted for those memorialized.

With the winter having set in, and the Dogwood Festival, during which the Memorial would be dedicated, just a few months away it was determined that the flagpole and the plaque would be permanently installed and the temporary plaza would be paved with Albemarle green stone.

Ultimately, twenty-eight military personnel from the Albemarle/Charlottesville area are memorialized at the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial.

A rededication of the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial is conducted the third Friday in April of each year by the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation members during the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival.  Assistance in this rededication comes from UVa’s ROTC cadet Color Guard and Albemarle/Charlottesville American Legion Post 74 Honor Guard.  The rededication consists of appropriate prayers, the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, a Vietnam War veteran speaker, and the placing of memorial flags and wreaths.  There is also recognition of veterans and active service members, the families of those memorialized, and the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival Queen and her Court. A new United States flag is raised over the Memorial at this rededication service, and the retired flag is presented to our Keynote speaker. Since 2012 Biographies of our Fallen Heroes have been presented along with a folded American flag ceremoniously given to the next of kin or another person representing the family.

Recent History of Improvements by City of Charlottesville in conjunction with the John Warner Parkway Overpass/Interchange (2012-2018)

One of his final acts, before he left the Senate in 2009, Past Secretary of the Navy, Senator John W. Warner, earmarked 30 million tax dollars to finally build the long planned (40 years plus) Meadowcreek Parkway/Overpass. Thus the City started the planning process as to how the project related to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial. They invited Jim Shisler, and Bruce Eades, members of the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival Board, who were chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the annual Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Ceremony.  Since it was determined that the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial was the first public/civic memorial dedicated to those served our country in Vietnam and in particular those who gave all in that service, they honored our request that it remain in the exact original location and not be relocated down in the bottom along the creek as the early plan showed. Furthermore it was determined that the city designers would honor Jim’s request that as much of the original memorial as possible would be saved and reused in the reconstruction process.

Since the location of the memorial was in close proximity to the new roadway, the front of the plaza elevation had to be raised (although to maintain the historic authenticity the original “X”,”Y”, and “Z” axis of the original memorial flagpole base were surveyed and it was reinstalled to that exact location) to create a new plaza with a raised dais for ceremonies, It was also determined a rock wall similar to the construction of the new overpass would be required. We ask they use real stone facing like the original wall nearby in front of the old Rock Hill School, and not utilize the stamped design of the overpass. The city designer complied with all our request even placing a matching rock faced elliptical sitting wall to rear of the new colored concrete plaza. The designer suggested the original 24’ flagpole (which was severely oxidized and weakened near the base, should be replaced with a new thirty foot aluminum flagpole, which would fit the scale of the enlarged memorial site. We again made a request of the city that the original flagpole be repurposed on the site as a POW/MIA flagpole (this required cutting off four feet and installing a new 2’-6” base). And again the city said if we accomplished the work, they would show it that way on the construction plans. We continued to work together with the city and the design team, salvaged the original materials for storage and maintained the site throughout construction, since city workers were not allowed inside construction limits (during over two year re-construction process).

The memorial was completed just in time for the 49^th rededication in 2015, the same year the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation was formed in January. Since that time the twenty or so Foundation members have continued to solicit funds and make improvement to the Memorial. These include the Virginia state and the five service branch flagpoles and the twenty-eight stainless steel individual history plaques with small flag holders. The new board also added the new moniker “The Hill That Heals in 2016 and the Virginia State Historic marker in 2017, and in 2018 a Founder’s plaque was dedicated to James D. Shisler, William (Bill) Gentry, and Kenny Staples.  Jim Shisler, who was honored with the title “President Emeritus” of the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation in 2016 (W. Bruce Eades has served as DVMF President since 2016), lead a master plan committee until his passing in September 2021.  The work continues on future improvements and plans are currently being developed for a pedestrian bridge/parking area by committee chair Gregory Krystyniak and the DVMF board: Thus Access (and particularly Handicapped access) to the 60 acres of Eastern McIntire Park and the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial has become another primary focus of the DVMF members!