Dogwood Vietnam Memorial to expand space, continue mission as center for community healing

Press Release

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.  As this somber occasion approaches, a Charlottesville-based group is advancing its quest to preserve the nation’s first public Vietnam memorial.  Located on a grassy slope at the intersection of Rt. 250 and John Warner Parkway, this historic landmark, which pays tribute to soldiers from the Vietnam War era, was built 16 years prior to the dedication of the national monument in Washington D.C. 

The idea for the memorial first surfaced in the fall of 1965.  The Charlottesville area had just suffered its first Vietnam casualty – 18-year old native son, Champ Lawson.  Champ was also a new father.  He and his wife had welcomed their first child in July.  

It was in that moment that a small group of local citizens came up with a plan: to create a space honoring the spirit of sacrifice personified by residents like Champ.

The Dogwood Memorial now showcases the stories of 28 soldiers who died in the Vietnam conflict.  They represent a cross-section of local life in the 1960s: graduates of the all-Black Burley and Jefferson high schools, students from the newly integrated Lane High School, and UVA student-athletes and ROTC trainees.  

Unveiled in January 1966, the site has become a destination for those veterans and their loved ones seeking comfort and restoration.  Bruce Eades, Vietnam veteran and president of the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation, shares that “It’s been really important for my healing.”  He even gave the location its nickname: “The Hill that Heals.”

When Eades first returned from war, he consciously chose to distance himself from his identity as a Vietnam soldier.  But during a remembrance ceremony at the Memorial in 1995, he decided it was time to speak up.

In his keynote speech to a gathering of veterans and their families, he stated that “Because of the stigma associated with the Vietnam veteran, I, like many others, rarely spoke of my experience in Vietnam…  I hid my tears when I remembered my fallen friends.”

This marked the first time Eades talked openly about his deployment – 27 years after returning home.  Until then, he had not even shared his memories with his wife and daughters.  

The Foundation recently unveiled plans to expand the Memorial.  A plaza will be added to accommodate 26 additional Vietnam veterans’ profiles.  Other improvements will make for easier access to the space.  They include the addition of paved parking alongside John Warner Parkway, and a pedestrian bridge connecting the parking lot to the complex.  Construction is slated for completion in 2026.

The Foundation has also come up with a way for citizens to participate in this initiative.  Memorial bricks can now be purchased and engraved with a lasting, personal tribute to a veteran’s’ service and sacrifice.  They will be placed on a new walkway linking the pedestrian bridge to the Memorial Plaza.  Note that all veterans who served in the military are eligible for this honor.  

Proceeds from this fundraiser will help finance construction plans and future Foundation efforts to educate the public about our involvement in Vietnam.

For more information on the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial, visit www.dogwoodvietnammemorial.org.