During the 1960’s, the United States of America called three million of its best—thousands of them from Texas—to fight the spread of communism in the war in Vietnam.  Now the Texas veterans of that long and controversial war will at last see themselves honored and remembered on the sacred soil of the statehouse grounds.

When it takes its place under the Live Oaks at the symbolic center of the Lone Star State, the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument will stand as a permanent reminder of the half million Texas residents who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War, including the 3,415 who never came home.  The symbol-filled granite and bronze 14-foot high monument is tentatively scheduled for dedication in the fall of 2013.  The monument will join those on the Capitol grounds honoring the Heroes of the Alamo, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

With the help of modern technology, The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument will be more than a statue of stone and metal; it will also be a living monument that brings the story of Texas and Texan involvement in the war to life.  “We want to use the opportunities afforded by the construction and placement of this monument to educate people today and in the future about the skill, dedication and sacrifice of Texans who served in Vietnam,” said Vietnam veteran Robert Floyd, chair of the committee raising funds for the monument.  “This will be a living monument to Texas heroes.”  The monument’s website will feature photo and video profiles of Texas Vietnam veterans, opportunities for Texans to honor their veterans, and interactive educational resources for Texas residents and school students.

The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument has tapped Austin’s Arrowhead Films to create a website, informational materials, and a video series for a campaign to “Honor Our Texas Heroes” of the Vietnam War.  As the creators of three award-winning documentary films about Vietnam War veterans, Arrowhead Films will bring its substantial experience, creativity, and subject matter expertise to telling the story of Texans who served in the Vietnam War.   In collaboration with Trifecta Interactive, Arrowhead Films will produce a campaign for launch March 1, 2012.

The Texas State Historical Commission is matching all tax-deductible donations to help fund the monument construction up to $500,000.  Donations can be made through www.buildthemonument.org, or by contacting Brian Archimbaud, Development Consultant, at barchimbaud@buildthemonument.org.