By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
NEWPORT– When veteran Tony Molina visits the Lincoln County Vietnam Commemorative Walk Memorial, he is flooded with memories.
Overlooking the ocean, a stone wall curves down to the beach. A dedication rock sits at the entrance of the walkway commemorating the 26 men from Lincoln County who died in Vietnam.
The obelisk, a large pointed sculpture that protrudes skyward and acts like a sort of sundial, is placed precisely 19 degrees to the northeast such that the shadow will fall on the granite arm every April 30 – the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
To Molina, the sound of the waves pounding on the shore is applause to veterans for their service and a welcome home. As he visits the memorial he thinks of a list of 24 words, including freedom, service, honor, hope, remember and comrades.
On Tuesday, Newport officials, veterans and their families gathered for a re-dedication ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Don and Ann Davis Park. The space is Newport’s most visited park, said parks and recreation director Mike Cavanaugh.
The memorial was dedicated on May 1, 1993. After more than 30 years of weathering by the salt air, its white lettering faded and there were tarnish marks on the memorial plaque before the city restored it this summer.
The main feature of the ceremony was the “Storytelling Wall” — a large stone with two plaques on either side. One gives a narrative of the memorial and the other a poem Molina wrote, titled “A Poem for Hope and Healing.”
Molina spearheaded the effort to create the memorial back in the late 1980s when he was a T-ball coach.
“I got in touch with the families, the parents who had lost their children fighting in Vietnam and I knew something needed to be done,” he said.
Molina is a Vietnam War veteran, the president of Newport’s local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and served as the Tribal veterans representative for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
The city wasn’t always on board with the idea of the memorial, Molina said Tuesday. It took some convincing. The city council at the time thought veterans of all U.S. wars would want a memorial, he said, so they didn’t want to approve the project. He attended several meetings and after bringing in the Lincoln County families of the Vietnam War veterans who passed away, the city approved the memorial.
He then was tasked to raise the money to build the memorial. And he did – more than $30,000 from the community.
Before the memorial was completed, Molina walked along the path that led to the park thinking of words that inspired reflection. Freedom, service, honor, loyalty, courage, patriotism, gallantry, succor, faith, vigilance, liberty, reflection, strength, family, hope, solace, heritage, justice, beauty, wisdom, charity, valor, remember and comrades.
Then he wrote down his thoughts.
“It’s the only poem I ever wrote,” he said.
City leaders, active military members, veterans and their families listened Tuesday as speakers recited Molina’s poem and told of the origin of the memorial. A large American flag was hoisted by a fire truck and the U.S. Coast Guard color guard ceremoniously marked the start and end of the rededication.
“I hope more people come to the memorial because some Newport residents don’t know it exists and some veterans don’t know it exists,” Molina said.
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
