WICHITA, Kansas - It was originally designed to sit inside Veterans' Memorial Park as a tribute to the South Vietnamese who fought alongside the U.S. during the Vietnam war.
However, it was a plan that quickly drew fire from some veterans.
"That park is for American, United States veterans that protected our country so that you and I could be here today," veteran Bob Pinkstaff said back in June.
Despite the fact the Vietnamese-American community had already raised money to build the monument, and had already received approval from the Parks Department, the city council sought a compromise.
That compromise would not place the monument in Veterans' Memorial Park, but instead along the Arkansas river. The monument would be surrounded by a berm, so it could not be seen from the park. The monument would also be renamed the South Vietnamese Community Memorial.
"I think, again, what they are doing is rubbing it in the face of our Vietnam veterans," veteran Dick Weston said.
Despite that feeling from a few veterans, an overwhelming majority of veterans approved the compromise Sunday.
"We've achieved everything we set out to achieve," veteran John Wilson said.
The achievements include not only keeping the memorial out of the park, but making their voices heard to city leaders.
Still, some veterans fear what this debate may mean for future relations between veterans and the Vietnamese community.
"Many of them lost everything to come here, and we just need to love and honor them as U.S. citizens, which they are," veteran David Robbins said.
The city council is expected to approve the compromise at Tuesday's meeting.
