A smaller-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was unveiled in Angel Fire, New Mexico last month at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in a dedication and ribbon cutting that took place June 28.
“Today is a very special day for the state of New Mexico, our veterans, their families, friends, the community, and especially our Vietnam Veterans – welcome home,” said DVS Cabinet Secretary Jamison Herrera, whose father and father-in-law are Vietnam War veterans. “I want to thank the executive branch of our government, legislators, the General Services Department and all of our cabinet secretaries because it takes ‘team New Mexico’ to accomplish an objective like this.”
Herrera noted there was lots of collaboration with local veterans’ organizations, grass roots groups and “every veteran who has a vote on how we honor those who have served before us.”
The wall, a half-scale replica of the 500-foot-long national wall in Washington D.C., sits atop a hill overlooking the serene Moreno Valley. Like the national wall, the replica wall features black granite panels engraved with the names of the 58,000 fallen U.S. service members from the war—including 398 New Mexicans.
The $1.7 million project broke ground last summer after capital outlay funding and additional funds from the governor’s office were received. Initial fundraising had begun through a privately financed project seven years earlier through a grass-roots effort started by Vietnam Veterans of America/Northern New Mexico Chapter 996 from Santa Fe.
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales was the ceremony’s main speaker. He said it is always special for him to be amongst veterans, especially those who served in Vietnam, as his father did.
“On behalf of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, myself, and our entire cabinet, this is our opportunity to say thank you for your service. It’s our opportunity to recognize the struggles of what you, along with your families, have been through,” said the lieutenant governor. “The reception our Vietnam veterans received when they came home is not something our country should be proud of. But I’m happy that we have been able to learn from it, so that we can now pay tribute to them.”
Jack McManus, the national president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, came from the national headquarters in Maryland to attend the ceremony.
“It is an honor for me to participate in this ceremony,” he said. “This is the perfect place for this memorial. It is serene, and it puts you at peace.”
The New Mexico Vietnam Veterans Memorial was begun by the parents of David Westphall, who was among 17 soldiers who lost their lives in a battle near Con Thien, Vietnam on May 22, 1968.
The Memorial was originally known as the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel.
The Memorial, which sees around 45,000 individuals yearly, includes a visitor center, amphitheater, a memorial walkway, memorial gardens, a Huey Helicopter display, and the gravesites of David Westphall’s parents- Victor and Jeanne.
It also includes a library of over 1,000 books and 2,000 photographs, memorabilia exhibits, touchable displays, artwork, and sculptures that provide a glimpse into the daily life of troops.
The Memorial also overlooks the Angel Fire State Veterans Cemetery, which opened in July 2020.
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