The Memorial was constructed from 1968-1971 and was the first major Vietnam memorial in the United States. The site received wide attention in the 1970’s and helped inspire the establishment of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1982. In 1987, Congress also recognized this site as a memorial of national significance. Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park is a special and powerful place for America’s Vietnam veterans and hosts over 40,000 visitors annually.
Doc and Jeanne Westphall built the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel in honor of their son, 1st Lt. David Westphall. David was one of 16 Marines killed in an ambush in Con Thien, Vietnam in 1968. The chapel is the centerpiece of the park and is considered so important, the visitor center built to accompany it in 1986, was placed mostly underground. Inside the center are restrooms and drinking water. It's well worth the time to explore the exhibits and library inside.
On the grounds is a Huey that served with the 121st AHC where it was known as Viking Surprise and was one of the first smokeships in Vietnam. In 1967 it was damaged so badly during a rescue operation a total of 135 bullet holes were counted in it. It was repaired and assigned to the 118th AHC to serve a second tour. In 1999 it was donated to the park by the New Mexico National Guard.
The visitor center and gift shop are open 9-5 daily April through October. November through March they are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The chapel and grounds are always open. Regularly scheduled guided tours are offered during the summer but if a ranger is available, they will happily offer tours throughout the year if requested. The Memorial is the only New Mexico State Park that does not charge an entrance fee.
During the winter the cache may be inaccessible due to heavy snow.
At the time of placement, the inventory included patriotic CDs, New Mexico State Park stickers, bumper stickers, assorted toys and a water bottle for the FTF.