Wentzville Missouri is home to one of the first Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the United States. The Memorial originally started as a tree lighting in 1967, that was a fundraiser to send CARE packages to the soldiers overseas that holiday season fighting in the Vietnam War. The money was raised, and there was even enough money left over to build a small monument on the site.
If you were to ask your Wentzville tutor they would tell you the Vietnam War began for America when we joined forces with the Republic of South Vietnam, who was already at war with North Vietnam in an attempt to resist communist rule. Americans fought against south Vietnamese guerillas and the North Vietnamese Army, commonly referred to as the Viet Cong. Many soldiers lost their lives in this long and violent battle. Eventually the US pulled out, and civil war continued amongst North and South Vietnam. Unfortunately, Vietnam fell to communist force. The Vietnam war is sometimes referred to as “the only war America ever lost”, and this controversial topic remains as an influence even today in how America handles political and military events.
In 1968 local citizens donated a donated a thirty-foot-tall tree to replace the first one, and some local artists created sculptures to sit alongside the tree. As time passed the tree eventually died, and some less then savory characters kept vandalizing the sculptures. The town came together yet again to figure out a permanent solution, unwilling to give up on their monument. In 1984 a permanent monument was erected, created from Red Missouri Granite, and topped with a carved eagle. On the bottom of the monument are the words “Vietnam Veterans Memorial December 1967; Wither thou goest I will go; Ruth. 1:16” inscribed as a reminder of why the monument stands today.
The Vietnam War was a very important event that made its mark on history. When meeting with your Wentzville tutor you will learn many other important event and information. Wentzville should be proud that they have the ability to say that their town was one of the first to even create a special statue dedicated to the memories of those that never came home from the Vietnam War. Today the monument stands as a reminder to all of those sacrifices made, and will hopefully stand for many more years to come, so future generations will be able to see and appreciate it.