Memorial wall in Appleton honors 1,249 Vietnam veterans who never made it home
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A permanent memorial wall honoring Wisconsin natives who died during the Vietnam War was officially dedicated Tuesday, marking 50 years to the day since the war ended on April 30, 1975.
The Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Wall, located behind the Vets and Friends Coffee House on North Richmond Street, features the names and photographs of all 1,249 Wisconsin service members who died in the conflict.
Emplify Health celebrates life-saving efforts of donors during 'National Donate Life Month'
The outdoor exhibit, made up of 17 aluminum panels, is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free to visit.
'It's called a face to every name,' said Jack Voight, the Vietnam veteran who led the effort to build the wall. 'It sends another message of it being unbelievable what that person went through.'
Voight, who served in Vietnam and Cambodia with the U.S. Army in 1969 and 1970, said he wanted to create something more personal and accessible than the national memorial in Washington, D.C.
Unlike the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall, the Appleton wall features full names, faces, and county-by-county biographical details of each fallen service member.
'Every county in this state, 72 counties, had a veteran, except for one,' Voight said. 'That was Iron County, which had a veteran who died in Vietnam.'
The wall is organized by county and includes a locator panel to help visitors find names. Standing seven feet tall and over 50 feet long, the memorial also features flags, eagle statues, and a fallen soldier marker with the inscription 'All Gave Some. Some Gave All.'
The wall's total cost was about $70,000, funded entirely by donations, including a $25,000 contribution from Appleton's VFW Post 2778.
The dedication ceremony included speeches from local veterans, officials from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, and a 21-gun salute.
For many Vietnam veterans in attendance, the wall provided a long-overdue tribute.
'I've never met some of these people now living in the state of Wisconsin, but I do recognize some of the names from neighboring counties,' said Wayne Martin, a Vietnam veteran in the Third Marine Division.
'Lifted spirits with his signature wave': Fond du Lac community mourns loss of beloved crossing guard
He also hinted at expanding services at the site, including free meals for veterans and their families, which the nonprofit Vets and Friends already provides monthly.
'Please remember, if you see a veteran in the store or gas station, just shake his hand and say thank you. That's going to make that veteran's day,' Martin said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
8 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Generational Advice: Hardships Youth Shouldn't Face
Every generation grows up facing certain challenges that are unique to how society and the world at large are evolving during that time. The baby boomer generation became adults in the midst of conflicts like the Vietnam War and revolutions like the Civil Rights Movement. Gen X grew up facing the impact of multiple economic recessions while at the same time, being the first generation to really have widespread access to technological advancements like computers and the internet. And millennials (also known as Generation Y) are often called unlucky due to high numbers of unemployment, student loan debt, and mental health struggles. If you're a part of a generation that is considered to be "older," what's something you wish younger generations, such as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, didn't have to deal with? Is it the rising worries about climate change and the environment? White smoke is pouring out of the chimneys of the power plant. Are you concerned about how artificial intelligence (AI) might impact them? Do you feel it's harder for younger generations to find work and afford homes, especially with inflation and rent eating up most of their earnings? Whatever it is, we want to hear it. Use our anonymous form or comment below! What's something you wish the younger generations didn't have to deal with, and why?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Brown County United Way combines efforts with 20 nonprofits to expand HubCAP into mobile classroom
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Brown County United Way unveiled an expansion to its HubCAP on Tuesday morning, courtesy of a partnership with over 20 nonprofit agencies. The HubCAP is used to roll through neighborhoods and provide information, resources and more to community members without moving around too much. This new expansion features a mobile classroom. The Weidner announces seven show lineup for 2025-26 Broadway In Green Bay The mobile classroom is designed with on-the-go educational features, support services and more. The overall press conference to announce the mobile classroom included an interactive tour of the HubCAP vehicles. The overall program includes healthcare, mental health resources, early childhood care, financial assistance and countless other tools, all on the go, as the HubCAP stops at neighborhoods, events and even job sites. Click here for more details on the HubCAP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Appleton could rename park to honor its veterans
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A popular Appleton park may soon have a new name that will help the city honor those who served. On Monday night, the Appleton parks and recreation committee approved a resolution that will change 'Appleton Memorial Park's' name to 'Veterans Memorial Park.' 'Many communities have a veteran park, we have a veterans park, but it doesn't provide the services that are needed for a good veterans park for Appleton,' said Appleton veteran Jack Voight. Kaukauna Goats return to 1000 Islands for invasive plant control The city does already have a park called 'Veterans Park' on south Memorial Drive. However, it's a small park with very limited parking so it's hard to host any substantive ceremony to honor veterans there. Local veterans said they think the city could do a better job of honoring those who served using the city's public spaces and that's why they are getting behind this resolution. 'It takes some effort from different advocates to create an environment that this is a needed thing for our community,' Voight told Local 5 News. 'Having this opportunity to have a new space to recognize veterans I think is important.' The resolution also directs city staff to develop a plan to relocate existing veterans memorials throughout the city to what would be 'Veterans Memorial Park.' It would also add new memorials to honor veterans who fought in more recent conflicts. At the committee meeting, there was a robust discussion about the details of this resolution. There's still some questions that need to be answered including the costs of the project and how relocating the memorials would exactly work. Now that the resolution has passed through committee it will now go before the full common council at a future meeting. Green Bay's Mayor Genrich joins Latino Professionals for civic engagement event 'We have a great foundation (at Memorial Park) and I think it would look amazing to have additional monuments in that area, it's very peaceful out there, there's great parking for those with accessibility issues,' said parks and recreation chairperson Patrick Hayden. 'I see a lot of wins there.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
