Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park was the first major Vietnam memorial in the United States. It is currently the only
state parkState parks are parks or other protected areas of the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreation, or other reason, and under the administration of the government of a U.S. state or one of the states of Mexico. State...
dedicated exclusively to veterans of the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. It is located off United States Highway 64 in
Angel FireAngel Fire is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2000 census. It is a popular ski resort destination, with a base elevation of 8,600 feet and a summit of 10,677 feet with over 500 acres of skiable terrain.To the north, off U.S...
(
Colfax CountyColfax County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of 2000, the population was 14,189. Its county seat is Raton. It is the home of Philmont Scout Ranch, whose Ranger Department conducts all search-and-rescue operations in the county in return for use of the county's helicopters...
) in the
Sangre de Cristo MountainsThe Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States...
on the Enchanted Circle of northeastern
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, it has also been part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. Among U.S...
.
The memorial was begun by Victor and Jeanne Westphall, the grief-stricken parents of Marine
First LieutenantFirst Lieutenant is a military rank.The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
David Westphall, who was among sixteen young men in his unit killed in an ambush in 1968 in
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park was the first major Vietnam memorial in the United States. It is currently the only
state parkState parks are parks or other protected areas of the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreation, or other reason, and under the administration of the government of a U.S. state or one of the states of Mexico. State...
dedicated exclusively to veterans of the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. It is located off United States Highway 64 in
Angel FireAngel Fire is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2000 census. It is a popular ski resort destination, with a base elevation of 8,600 feet and a summit of 10,677 feet with over 500 acres of skiable terrain.To the north, off U.S...
(
Colfax CountyColfax County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of 2000, the population was 14,189. Its county seat is Raton. It is the home of Philmont Scout Ranch, whose Ranger Department conducts all search-and-rescue operations in the county in return for use of the county's helicopters...
) in the
Sangre de Cristo MountainsThe Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States...
on the Enchanted Circle of northeastern
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, it has also been part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. Among U.S...
.
The memorial was begun by Victor and Jeanne Westphall, the grief-stricken parents of Marine
First LieutenantFirst Lieutenant is a military rank.The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
David Westphall, who was among sixteen young men in his unit killed in an ambush in 1968 in
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
. The Westphalls used their son’s
insuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
policies to begin construction of the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel. The chapel resembles a sail and perches on the hillside overlooking the Moreno Valley. The chapel is open twenty-four hours per day. The David Westphall Veterans Foundation has since supported the operation of the memorial, which was dedicated on the anniversary of David's death in 1971. At the time of its construction, the site received national media attention and helped inspire the establishment of the
Vietnam Veterans MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service or are still unaccounted for....
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, completed in 1982. In 1987, the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
recognized Angel Fire as a memorial of national significance. The park hosts thousands of annual visitors, many moved emotionally by the sacrifice of the Vietnam veterans. In 2005, the site became New Mexico's 33rd state park. It is operated in partnership with the David Westphall Veterans Foundation, which allows it to be the only New Mexico State Park that does not charge a fee.
The Visitor Center was dedicated in 1986 and features photographs and banners from some of the 210 units which served in Vietnam. There is a media room which shows the 86-minute
Home Box OfficeHBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
documentary filmDocumentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
Dear America: Letters Home from VietnamDear America: Letters Home from Vietnam is an Emmy award winning 1987 documentary directed by Bill Couturié. Using real letters written by US soldiers and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal experience of the Vietnam War. The film won the Special Jury Prize: Documentary at Sundance...
. A Veteran’s Room honors the military personnel killed or
missing in actionMissing in action is a status assigned to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively identified...
. The POW/MIA flag waves outside the center. The center seeks to educate Americans about Vietnam and to maintain a haven for healing and reconciliation.
The memorial maintains a Huey helicopter known originally as “Viking Surprise”, one of the first smokeships used in Vietnam. On March 26, 1967, the helicopter, while rescuing service personnel, was so bady damaged – 135 bullet holes – that it was returned to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for repairs. The copter returned to Vietnam and was later sent to the
New Mexico National GuardThe New Mexico National Guard consists of the:*New Mexico Army National Guard **1st and 2nd Battalions, 200th Infantry**93rd Troop Command, 44th Army Band*New Mexico Air National Guard ** 150th Fighter Wing-Quarterly Magazine: printed by...
, which donated it to the Angel Fire memorial.
The memorial maintains a statue by Doug Scott of
TaosTaos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. In New Mexico, a municipality may call itself a village, town, or city . Taos calls itself the "Town of Taos" and was incorporated as such in 1934...
, entitled “Dear Mom and Dad”. It depicts a soldier, with his rifle on his shoulder, writing a letter home. There is also a scale model of the
Vietnam Women's MemorialThe Vietnam Women's Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict. It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier...
by
Glenna GoodacreGlenna Maxey Goodacre is a sculptor well known for having designed the obverse of the Sacagawea dollar that entered circulation in the United States in 2000...
of
Santa FeSanta Fe is the capital of the state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 62,203 at the April 1, 2000 census; the estimate for July 1, 2006, is 72,056...
(born in
Lubbock, TexasLubbock is an American city in the state of Texas. Located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, it is the county seat of Lubbock County, and the home of Texas Tech University. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 199,564,...
), which was unveiled on the
Washington MallWashington Mall is an ailing enclosed shopping mall located in South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington, formerly managed by J J Gumberg Co. and now by Oxford Development Company. It is owned by Falconi, a local developer which also owns a...
in 1993.
The Run for the Wall riders make Angel Fire and Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park one of their first stops on their trip to the
Vietnam Veterans MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service or are still unaccounted for....
in Washington, DC. Up to 500 motorcycles visit the Memorial on Friday the weekend before
Memorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service...
. Also, tarting in 1981, there has been a
motorcycle rallyA motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. A rally can range from the mild corporate-sponsored Honda Hoot to rowdy gatherings such as the infamous Hollister riot.Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring...
from the nearby town of
Red River, New MexicoRed River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, United States located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 484 at the 2000 census.-History:...
every Memorial Day weekend. Most of the riders visit the Memorial during the rally. Up to 30,000 motorcyclists attend.
More information about the memorial and its events is available from the state parks office at (575) 377-2293.