Waco Vietnam Memorial preserves veterans' legacies
The memorial, inspired by the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., was first designed in 1988 and officially dedicated in 2004, with a rededication in 2010. Now it serves as a tribute to those that served their country during the Vietnam War in Waco.
'That's part of just being a good ol' red, white and blue-blooded American,' Ret. Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Loren Kendig said. 'That element may get damaged from time to time but it never goes away. It never dies out.'
From the beginning of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War when the first troops deployed in 1965 to the Fall of Saigon marking the end of the war ten years later, sentiments are split between veterans.
'I was relieved that it was over,' Ret. USMC Col. William Bauer said. 'No more killing, no more loss of lives.'
'We haven't learned any lessons from Vietnam as a result of the mistakes we made there,' Ret. UMSC Fighter Pilot Bob Hollingsworth said.
'I think looking back on it now, we didn't go about it the right way,' Ret. USMC Maj. Richard Campbell said. 'We learned a lot.'
A sentiment that leaves unresolved feelings towards the war in general when thanked for their service.
'I say, 'I'm sorry we lost', and my wife ribs me about that,' Kendig said. 'My personal opinion is that we lost that war.'
'For us Vietnam Vets, it just rings kind of hollow,' Campbell said.
Despite all the controversy surrounding the war and its methods, the Waco Vietnam Memorial stands as a tribute to those who proudly served their country and wouldn't hesitate to do it again as the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon carries the weight of heavy loss.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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