At the Vietnam War Memorial dedication in Piedmont Park on Sunday, veteran Rev. Elderson J. McGhee surveyed the crowd and said what many in attendance felt: "This is what I wanted when I came home from Vietnam."
There were no parades or ceremonies for soldiers returning from that war. Some were spat upon. The average age of those who served was just 19. This memorial, decades in the making, finally honors their sacrifice.
The monument features five pillars representing the armed services branches and plaques with 240 names of Atlanta and Fulton County soldiers killed in Vietnam. Over 58,000 Americans died in the war, not counting many who returned with Agent Orange exposure, PTSD, and other ailments. For the veterans who gathered Sunday, the recognition was long overdue.
