Dedicated to the lasting memory of all who served our country in Vietnam, and especially those from the Charlottesville-Albemarle area who gave their lives in that service.
Brief Mission and History
The Memorial was dedicated on April 20, 1966, to the Charlottesville Dogwood Vietnam Memorial (the Memorial). It is the first public/civic Memorial in the United States of America to honor all members of the United States Military who served and those who gave their lives in the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, especially to the lasting memory of the United States Military services from the greater Charlottesville, Virginia area. Each April since, there has been an annual rededication of the Memorial, except for the 2020 postponement, due to the COVID-19 pandemic problems.
In January 2015, the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation, Inc, was established as a separate entity to focus exclusively on the Memorial. The Foundation is comprised of approximately 25 all-volunteer members, most of whom have served in this country's military, the majority in the war in Vietnam, and all are dedicated to perpetuating the Memorial ("the hill that heals").
Future Goals
As part of carrying out that mission, the Foundation has plans to, among other things, obtain additional signage on the nearby roadways to highlight and direct the public to the Memorial; erect an information kiosk at the Memorial, including biographical profiles of the twenty-eight young men memorialized therein; and establish an educational program concerning the war in Vietnam in conjunction with local schools and other civic groups in the region.
Also, the Foundation may develop and provide additional historical and educational materials for informing the public at the Memorial site or locations about the sacrifice of local military service personnel involved in the Vietnam War, and the lessons learned from the Vietnam experience.