Delaware County, PA Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Lost and forgotten for over forty years, this very unique memorial has been discovered and is being given new life by Pennsylvania veterans. Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania is known for the Revolutionary War defeat of General Washington’s army by the British on September 11, 1777. Unknown patriots who wanted to honor those from Delaware County who were fighting in the Viet Nam war thought it appropriate to combine a cannon from the Revolutionary War with their plaque of remembrance dedicated on November 11, 1966. With Wendell Willkie quote “For if we want to fight for freedom, we must be prepared to extend it to everyone whether they agree with us or not….” The monument was recently discovered over grown with brush in an abandoned parking lot and was rededicated on October 15, 2016 on a pedestrian crosswalk near the newly constructed Brandywine Mall where it serves as an impressive reminder of the gallantry of warriors from both wars. And proving It is never too late (or too early) to honor warrior service.
Author’s Note: In researching Vietnam Veterans Memorials for Warriors Remembered I compiled a list of over 1000 memorials. I always tried to avoid claims of which was “the first” because I felt every memorial was a labor of love regardless of its date of birth. The oldest memorial I found to include in Warriors Remembered was the one in Calumet City, Illinois dedicated May 30, 1967. This memorial near Brandywine battlefield dedicated seven months earlier clearly eclipses that distinction. My next blog in a few weeks however will point to an even earlier memorial. My congratulations to every group of veterans and their supporters who have built or continue to build these monuments of remembrance for our fallen and surviving brothers.
