VIETNAM VETERANS OF OREGON LIVING MEMORIAL
"remember us. so long as we are not forgotten, we do not die"
BUILDING IT
VIETNAM VETERANS OF OREGON
LIVING MEMORIAL
The site chosen as the venue for the Living Memorial was a fairway that was part of a long-retired Par-3 golf course in Hoyt Arboretum across from the Portland Zoo. At first, some thought this didn't seem a good choice. In time, they agreed it was a perfect choice.
There were three distinct phases in developing the Living Memorial site: (1) Clearing it; (2) Shaping it; (3) Building it. Each phase involved a particular set of well-honed professional skills. Had these skills not been contributed, we never could have afforded them.
We owe massive votes of thanks to the 1249th Engineer Battalion of the Oregon Army National Guard and Associated General Contractors for their more than incredible efforts in clearing, shaping, and building the Memorial. How do we thank you? Really, we can't.
The vision, concept, and design for a Living Memorial was a "destined gift" from the artful mind and empathetic soul of Doug Macy. He himself was altered by a brutal experience of loss and pain. This drew him even closer to what so many bereft parents felt.
In seeking to express our humble recognition of Oregonians killed in Vietnam, we sought to invest our dream of a memorial with something more than names on a wall. In Doug Macy's all-embracing design, we believe we have found the realization of our dream.
There are as many Vietnam memorials as there are states. And there are hundreds more raised by cities and towns across the country. This Memorial in Hoyt Arboretum is, then, one among the many. But our "Living" Memorial is also exceptional among them.
VIETNAM VETERANS OF OREGON
LIVING MEMORIAL
Contact: Mike Goldade
Treasurer
Contact: Jud Blakely
Webmaster
Powered by the generous gifts of
LtCol Nelson Olf USMC (Retired)