Vietnamese memorial stirs debate at council meeting

Last Update: 6/09/2009 5:29 pm

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Vietnamese memorial stirs debate at council meeting

WICHITA, Kansas – Wichita’s Veterans Memorial Park is the center of controversy after the city gave initial approval to place a monument there to honor Vietnamese soldiers. Some veteran’s groups are outraged since it would be the only monument to non U.S. service personnel.

The memorial park sits in the middle of downtown Wichita, along the banks of the Arkansas River and is filled with monuments honoring U.S. soldiers. But Tuesday, it was the tranquil park that turned the city council meeting into a firestorm of opinion.

"That park is for American, United States veterans that protected our country so that you, and him, and me could be here today,” said Bob Pinkstaff, a Korean War Veteran. “That's not for some other country that we went to the aid of to come in here and build a memorial."

Pinkstaff is fighting mad over plans for the Vietnamese community to build a free-standing monument in the park that would honor South Vietnamese soldiers who fought alongside U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. He and other veterans reminded the council this would be the only monument honoring non-U.S. soldiers. The veterans believe it is something the city should have considered before giving the initial green light.

"We haven't got a say in our own park,” Pinkstaff said. “We're the ones that spilled the blood. We're the ones that spilled the blood."

Some veterans say the Vietnamese-Americans should do what the Korean-Americans did and that was attaching a plaque to the current monument honoring U.S. Soldiers.

But not all veterans have a problem with a Vietnamese memorial.

"It's a beautiful park, and we need to recognize and be grateful for the sacrifices that people have made,” said Vietnam Veteran Lonny Wright.

Wright says it would be a nice addition to the park and that everyone should be honored.

In the end, the city council pushed for a compromise between the two sides. Council members delayed their vote on the matter for 30 days, hoping an agreement could be reached. It will vote on the issue July 14^th.

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