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.
Moved by this loss and the certainty that more would follow, the trio resolved to create a memorial dedicated to the memory of Charlottesville's fallen sons. Within days, they selected a grassy slope at the edge of McIntire Park overlooking Route 250 as the site for their tribute.
By January 1966, the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial was completed. It became the first civic memorial In the country dedicated to the soldiers of the Vietnam War, created 16 years before the national memorial in Washington. D.C.
The memorial honors 28 local soldiers who died In Southeast Asia and has offered a place for community remembrance and individual healing. For Bruce Eades, a Marine who served in Vietnam. the memorial has had a profound impact on his journey of healing. It was here, in April 1995, that Eades, after 27 years of silence about the war, first spoke publicly about his experiences in Vietnam. ''[The memorial] been really important for my healing," says Eades. Now the president of the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation, he gave the site its nickname: "The Hill that Heals."
 |
|
As the nation prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War In 2025, the foundation is working on a significant expansion for the memorial. Two major initiatives are planned: the Brick Plaza Project and the Access Project. The Brick Plaza Project will add 26 more biographical plaques honoring Vietnam veterans who attended the University of Virginia. It will also add story bricks, honoring veterans who served in the U.S. military at any time and in any conflict. Funds from the project will go toward the memorial's expansion costs.
Scheduled for completion in 2026. The Access Project will enhance the memorial's accessibility, particularly for older veterans and residents challenged by the memorial's current configuration. A new parking area will be constructed alongside the trail that runs parallel to the John Warner Parkway, and an ADA-compliant pedestrian bridge will span the parkway, connecting the parking area to the memorial.