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The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial had its origins on a fall day in 1965 when Ken Staples, the owner of Staples Barber Shop In Charlottesville, found himself in conversation with two friends,  local real estate agent Bill Gentry and engineer Jim Shisler. The national news was dominated by President Lyndon Johnson's recent decision to send the first U.S. combat troops to Vietnam, but the conversation in the barbershop had turned local: the tragic death of 18-year-old Army soldier Champ Lawson. Champ, who had recently become a father, was killed in a mid-air helicopter collision over South Vietnam, making him the first local casualty of the war.

The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation introduces an opportunity for Veterans, family members, and friends to leave a lasting tribute with an engraved Memorial brick. All service members and those who have served our Country are eligible. The bricks will be placed on the proposed new walkway from the future projected pedestrian bridge, entering the park to the Memorial Plaza. The money from the purchased bricks will enable the Foundation to continue to inform, instruct, and educate the public about our total military/humanitarian involvement in Vietnam.