Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Memorial is a slightly sunken elliptical space framed by two Barre Gray Granite walls.[8] One wall contains the names of the 371 Queens residents who died in the Vietnam War, with their ages at their death. Under the names is a timeline of the war, describing some of the major events from May 7, 1954 to April 30, 1975. There is then a short statement honoring those veterans who have lost their lives after the war due to things ranging from PTSD to Agent Orange exposure side effects.[8] It also honors Pat Toro, a veteran who advocated for the memorial but died prior to its construction.[9] The opposite granite wall has a drawing of Bamboo etched in its surface, with a bench where visitors can sit and view the names and history. The outside face of the wall is engraved with the name of the memorial, a dedication to all Vietnam Veterans, an engraving of the Vietnam Service Medal, and of the Service Marks for the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. The faces of the wall with the title and the names and history are lit, as is a flag pole. In the center of the elliptical space is a granite map showing the area around Vietnam, with several places mentioned in the historical text marked as well.[8] The plantings around the memorial were selected to provide color throughout the year, with a focus on fall color of Green, Yellow and Red, the colors of the Vietnam Service Medal Ribbon, around Veterans Day.

The Memorial was donated by Borough President, Melinda Katz after securing funding. She, along with the New York City Parks Department, Queens veterans, various elected officials, and community leaders broke ground for its construction. It was the first memorial to honor all Queens residents who served in the Vietnam War and were killed in action, or listed as "Missing in Action." Also present at the groundbreaking ceremony were State Senators Joseph Addabbo, Jr. and Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblymembers Brian Barnwell and Michael DenDekker, City Councilmember Robert Holden and State Senator-elect John Liu.[10]

Elmhurst Park was created after two Elmhurst gas tanks, that were 275-feet in diameter were removed by the KeySpan Company (now National Grid) in the 1990s. In 2004, KeySpan sold the land to New York City for $1, and it was officially transferred in 2005. The city then launched a $20 million project in 2007 to transform it into a park, completed in 2011.

The inscription[11] on the memorial reads:

MAY 7, 1954: COMMUNIST VIETNAMESE INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS DEFEAT FRENCH FORCES AT THE / BATTLE OF ?I?N BIÊN PH?. AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, IT IS DECIDED TO DIVIDE VIETNAM AT THE / 17TH PARALLEL WITH ELECTIONS PLANNED FOR 1956 TO DETERMINE THE FATE OF THE COUNTRY; THE / ELECTIONS ARE NEVER HELD. NGÔ ?ÌNH DI?M DECLARES HIMSELF PRESIDENT OF THE NEWLY / ESTABLISHED REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN THE SOUTH WHILE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN / THE NORTH REMAINS A SEPARATE STATE UNDER H? CHÍ MINH. PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER / COMMITS THE UNITED STATES TO MAINTAIN SOUTH VIETNAM'S INDEPENDENCE UNDER DI?M. //

UNDER EISENHOWER, THE U.S. MILITARY REPLACES FRANCE AS THE PROTECTOR OF THE DEMOCRATIC / SOUTH VIETNAM. ON JULY 8, 1959, THE FIRST U.S. SERVICEMEN ARE KILLED IN COMBAT AT BIÊN HÒA / BY THE COMMUNIST SOUTH VIETNAMESE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT, BETTER KNOWN AS THE VIET / CONG. BY YEAR'S END THERE ARE 760 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM. //

JUNE 9, 1961: VICE PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON VISITS SOUTHEAST ASIA AND / RECOMMENDS A "STRONG PROGRAM OF ACTION" IN VIETNAM. WHILE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY / REFUSES TO DEPLOY AMERICAN COMBAT FORCES, HE INCREASES MILITARY SUPPORT TO THE SOUTH / WITH ADDITIONAL ADVISORS AND HELICOPTERS. BY NOVEMBER 1963, 16,000 U.S. MILITARY / PERSONNEL ARE STATIONED IN VIETNAM. //

AFTER MONTHS OF CONTINUED INFIGHTING IN SAIGON, PRESIDENT DI?M IS OVERTHROWN AND / ASSASSINATED IN A MILITARY-LED COUP D'ÉTAT ON NOVEMBER 2, 1963. JUST TWENTY DAYS LATER / ON NOVEMBER 22, PRESIDENT KENNEDY IS HIMSELF ASSASSINATED AND VICE PRESIDENT LYNDON / B. JOHNSON IS SWORN IN AS THE 36TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. DI?M'S ASSASSINATION / CREATES A POWER VACUUM IN THE SOUTH AND PROVIDES THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AN / OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THE VIET CONG. //

AUGUST 7, 1964: CONGRESS PASSES THE GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION AFTER TWO U.S. / NAVY DESTROYERS REPORT BEING ATTACKED OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM IN THE GULF OF TONKIN. / ALTHOUGH THE DETAILS OF THE GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT ARE LATER CALLED INTO QUESTION, THE / COURSE OF AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM IS FOREVER CHANGED. PRESIDENT JOHNSON USES / THE RESOLUTION AS A PRETEXT FOR DIRECT AMERICAN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN THE EXPANDING / WAR BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM. //

THE U.S. COMMENCES OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER, A MASSIVE BOMBING CAMPAIGN OF THE / NORTH, AND DEPLOYS COMBAT PERSONNEL TO SOUTH VIETNAM. AMERICAN GROUND PERSONNEL / ENGAGE IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS TO ACTIVELY LOCATE AND DESTROY ENEMY COMMUNIST FORCES / IN AN INCREASING EFFORT TO WEAKEN ENEMY RESOLVE FOR WAR. AMERICAN GROUND FORCES / NUMBER 23,300 IN 1964, AND BY THE END OF 1965 THE NUMBER RISES TO 184,000. //

SUPPORT FOR THE WAR IN THE U.S. BEGINS TO WANE AS OPPOSITION RISES IN THE COMING YEARS. / IN APRIL 1967, 100,000 ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY. AT YEAR'S END, THERE / ARE 485,600 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM. //

ON JANUARY 30, 1968 VIET CONG AND NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES LAUNCH THE TET OFFENSIVE / AGAINST PROVINCIAL CAPITALS ACROSS SOUTH VIETNAM. INITIALLY CATCHING AMERICAN AND SOUTH / VIETNAMESE FORCES BY SURPRISE, THE COMMUNIST FORCES ARE SOON TURNED BACK WITH HEAVY / LOSSES, PARTICULARLY TO THE VIET CONG. THE TET OFFENSIVE IS CONCURRENTLY A MILITARY DEFEAT / AND A POLITICAL VICTORY FOR THE COMMUNISTS. THE RESULTING SHIFT IN THE AMERICAN PUBLIC'S / SUPPORT FOR THE WAR MOVES THE U.S. TOWARD SEEKING WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN MILITARY / PERSONNEL. IN MAY, PRESIDENT JOHNSON ANNOUNCES THAT FORMAL PEACE TALKS WOULD BEGIN. / BY DECEMBER 31, THERE ARE 536,100 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM.//

JUNE 8, 1969: PRESIDENT RICHARD M. NIXON ANNOUNCES A STRATEGIC SHIFT DEEMED / "VIETNAMIZATION", WHEREBY THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE MILITARY WILL TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN / DEFENSE AS AMERICA STEPS BACK. BY THE END OF 1969, U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH / VIETNAM NUMBER 475,200. //

IN RESPONSE TO NORTH VIETNAM'S 1972 EASTER OFFENSIVE, THE U.S. LAUNCHES OPERATION / LINEBACKER TO HELP THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE STOP THE COMMUNIST ADVANCE. HOWEVER AFTER / MONTHS OF FAILED PEACE TALKS, NORTH VIETNAMESE NEGOTIATORS REFUSE TO CONTINUE. / PRESIDENT NIXON THEN AUTHORIZES OPERATION LINEBACKER II, A MASSIVE CONVENTIONAL / BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST TARGETS IN HANOI AND HAIPHONG. THE BOMBING RAIDS ARE THE / LARGEST HEAVY BOMBER STRIKES FLOWN BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE SINCE WORLD WAR II. THE / ATTACKS CONCLUDE WHEN THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AGREE TO RETURN TO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. //

JANUARY 15, 1973: PRESIDENT NIXON ANNOUNCES A HALT TO ALL U.S. OFFENSIVE / ACTION. ON MARCH 29, THE WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM AND / THE RELEASE OF 590 U.S. PRISONERS OF WAR ARE COMPLETED. AT THE END OF 1973, TOTAL / U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN VIETNAM NUMBER 50.//

SPRING 1975: THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CEASEFIRE AND THE / RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT NIXON TO LAUNCH A NEW INVASION, ATTACKING THE SOUTH / VIETNAMESE CAPITAL OF SAIGON AS THE REMAINING U.S. MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC / PERSONNEL EVACUATE, ALONG WITH SELECT SOUTH VIETNAMESE CITIZENS. ON APRIL 30, / 1975, THE VIETNAM WAR ENDS AS NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES SEIZE THE CAPITAL, AND THE / SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IS BORN. THE VIETNAM WAR COST THE LIVES OF MORE / THAN 58,300 U.S. MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS. //

POSTWAR: VETERANS CONTINUED TO / LOSE THEIR LIVES FROM POST-TRAUMATIC / STRESS DISORDER, LINGERING PHYSICAL / INJURIES, AND DISEASES AND CANCERS / LINKED TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE. //

ONE OF THOSE VETERANS WAS QUEENS / RESIDENT PASTOR "PAT" TORO WHO LOST HIS / LIFE AFTER RETURNING HOME. THE CREATION / OF THE QUEENS VIETNAM VETERANS / MEMORIAL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN / POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIS ADVOCACY.

[TEXT IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN HONOR ROLL OF 371 NAMES OF THOSE FROM QUEENS WHO DIED IN THE VIETNAM WAR]

On June 2, 2021, the Memorial was vandalized with graffiti.[12] The graffiti included negative references to God, "fallen souls", and “baby killers,” as well as a swastika over a 110, presumably for the 110th Police Precinct.

View of the Memorial from the Entry to Elmhurst Park