U.S., Viet troops honored

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the nation’s capital, with its long black granite wall of names, is a lasting reminder that more than 58,000 Americans were killed in that war.

What many in this country don’t realize is that our principal ally in that conflict, South Vietnam, lost more than 250,000 troops.

A fitting monument commemorating the shared sacrifices of the two nations will soon take its place in Arlington at the city’s 103-acre Veterans Park on Arkansas Lane.

The Arlington City Council last month approved the design of the memorial, an 8-foot-tall sculpture atop a four-foot granite base depicting two servicemen, one American and the other Vietnamese, standing side-by-side with their weapons ready.

Helping to make the project a reality are the Heroes of South Vietnam Memorial Foundation, which raised $300,000 for the commissioned work, and the Arlington Great Southwest Rotary Club, the spearheading group.

When the sculpture is unveiled, probably this summer, it will be something of which Americans and Vietnamese can be extremely proud.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 6:29 PM with the headline "U.S., Viet troops honored."