The Purpose

The overriding purpose of this proposed monument is to honor and express deep gratitude for the millions of Americans and Vietnamese who fought side-by-side to stop communist aggression and give the South Vietnamese people their freedom.

To give meaning to this difficult struggle, it is important for many of the Vietnamese people who fled their country and escaped communist persecution, to show their appreciation to those that helped them during and after the war. They thought it important to recognize the combined contributions of the American, South Vietnamese and other participating Coalition military personnel; and to celebrate the bond that developed between the soldiers from these different countries as they faced a common enemy.

It is important to recognize the numerous humanitarian efforts and good deeds done by the U.S. military and the many Americans who went far beyond the call of duty to help the South Vietnamese people.

It is important to remember thousands of Americans who are still unaccounted-for after all these years.

It is important to remember hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who died or suffered terribly in the concentration camps set up by the Communist regime.

The Tri-Ân Foundation was founded in the hope that the many inspiring stories of these American and South Vietnamese heroes would be better known to everyone of this and future generations.

The Monument

It is situated on a sloping hillside site within a park with other monuments to veterans nearby.  As envisioned by the Tri Ân Foundation, the physical monument is an environmental setting made up of an assemblage of features and spaces that will accommodate the anticipated uses, and serve to engage the attention, imagination and feelings of each visitor as they experience it.

There are many compositional elements which could be used to create the environmental setting. The infrastructure may include landscaping, pavement, architectural structures, fountains, walls, seating, fencing, and other site features; augmented by graphic depictions, sculptures, flags, military symbols, signage, exhibited artifacts, lighting, or any other methods that would help to achieve the monument’s purposes.