Vietnam Veterans Group Gets Atlanta’s Support for New Monument in Piedmont Park After 10 Years of Effort – WSB-TV Channel 2

McGhee said Channel 2’s Lori Wilson He added that many of those fallen soldiers were teenagers. He added that one of his best friends died in the war, which is part of the reason he wants to honor the fallen soldiers.

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“Most of these guys were killed before they were 21,” McGhee said. Channel 2 Action News. “During World War II, you had to be 25 to be drafted to fight, but during the Vietnam War, they were drafting 17, 18, 19-year-olds.”

Tony Merritt, another veteran and member of the Sons of Atlanta, shares McGhee’s passion for the monument project. He said he won’t stop pushing until the monument is in place.

“I served, but I did not pay the ultimate price. This is an opportunity for us to honor those who paid the ultimate price,” Merrit said.

The organization’s efforts over the years have not been in vain. Recently, McGhee and Merritt met with Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, who helped them gain the city council’s support for the monument.

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According to Bond, Atlanta is the only major city in the United States without a monument to its fallen heroes in Vietnam. He helped secure funding for the monument, which will be erected at the entrance to Piedmont Park on 14th Street.

He said this type of memorial to the dead was long overdue.

“This is prime time and a prime place for the public to see it and pay tribute to these individuals who have given so much to so many of us,” Bond said. “And for these veterans, this is now another victory in what has been a years-long battle to honor the comrades they consider brothers, in their hometown, on a holiday that the country has dedicated to celebrating freedom and sacrifice.”

McGhee said “it’s nice to be with family and friends and have a picnic,” but urged Americans to “think about the sacrifices they’ve made for this country.”

Bond said News on channel 2 that he hopes to start work on the monument in November.

The Sons of Atlanta are accepting donations to have a loved one’s name inscribed on a brick as part of the monument’s foundation, with money raised to be used to place military service and benefits resources in community centers and libraries.

To support the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Memorial Brick Campaign and submit a veteran’s name to be honored with the monument, go online here.

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