News and Events

Vietnam Memorial Vandalized Fund-Raising Campaign Launched

                The Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be holding a rally at the Memorial, Columbus Blvd and Spruce Street, on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m. in support of a campaign to repair extensive damages caused by recent vandalism.

                “Once again the Memorial, which honors the sacrifice of 648 city sons in the Vietnam War, was the target of miscreants with no reverence for those who have served their country,” noted Terry A. Williamson, Memorial president. “Since its inception in 1987, it’s been a constant battle to protect and preserve this sacred ground.

                “We persevere, not by ourselves, but because we know the good people of Philadelphia support our cause and place value on having such a Memorial to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

                Estimates by Owner’s Rep. (OR) the Memorial’s long-time contractor, are that the damage to signage, concrete and stone surrounding plaques and other ornamentation is in excess of $30,000. Besides the vandalism repair, damage due to wear and exposure to the elements will require another $80,000, according to OR.  Any funds raised beyond that needed to correct the vandalism will be used for those purposes.

                Regarding the act of vandalism, Philadelphia police from District 6, commanded by Capt. Brian Hartzell, identified a person of interest based on surveillance video. 

             The rally, which will end at 12:30 p.m., will include refreshments and entertainment. Supporting the event will be DJ Lou Costello, Billy Carlucci and The Essentials, and First Ladies of Rock and Roll, as well as Lou Balezzi. Partnering with the Memorial is Penn & Franklin – Greater Philadelphia Chapter, The Association of the U.S. Army.

                For those who wish to make a donation, they can either visit the Memorial ‘s website at https://pvvm.org/support and use the “donate” button or can mail donations to PVVM, P.O. Box 29425, Philadelphia, PA 19125.  Please indicate the contribution is to repair “vandalism.” The Memorial is a 501 (c)( 3) organization.