|
"What is astonishing about the social history of the Vietnam War is not how many people avoided it, but how many could not and did not."
- John Gregory Dunne
|
"The California Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located in the north-east corner of the State Capitol grounds at 15th Street and Capitol Avenue, Sacramento. It is found near the Rose garden in a quiet, lush setting. Wide, paved paths lead to the Memorial from the street as well as from the rest of the Capitol grounds. There is a large grassy area around the Memorial, with benches scattered around the area.
"The Memorial is circular in design, with full relief bronze sculptures depicting scenes from daily life during the war. The sculptures represent many sides of the war, with grunts, nurses, and POWs. The American flag waves over the Memorial. The 5,822 names of California's dead and missing are engraved on twenty-two black granite panels, arranged by their hometowns. In a ring arranged around the granite panels, there are stone benches facing the names.
"The $2.5 million Memorial was built entirely through donations. Assembly Bill 650, authored by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd, effective in January 1984, established the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission. B.T.Collins, a well-known figure in California government (and a former Special Forces Captain, who lost a leg and an arm in Vietnam), was an energetic driving force in the movement to get the Memorial built."
- Ron Fulks - Veteran
Reference Photo 1
Logging Requirements:
In order to log this virtual geocache as found, message us or send an e-mail through our geocaching profile with the first line containing "GC7B719 California's Vietnam Veterans Memorial" and then on the subsequent lines, the answers to the following questions based on your observations and information obtained during your visit to this incredibly poignant spot.
- Tell us the number of people in your group.
- As you enter the memorial from the south, you will pass over a bronze map inlaid into the walkway. At the very top left, about five feet from the top of the map, there is a 14" square bronze plaque in the walkway. What does it say? (See Reference Photo 1 above).
- As you enter the interior of the memorial, there is a bronze statue of a soldier sitting down reading a letter. Who is the letter from?
- Working your way around the interior counter=clockwise now, there is a bronze sculpture entitled "Prisoner of War." On the sides of the sculpture are six bronze relief panels. On the bottom left panel is an aircraft carrier. How many people can you see on deck?
- Continuing counter-clockwise, the next sculpture is entitled "Two Friends Walking." The soldier on the left has something tucked under the band on the front of his combat helmet. What is it?
- Continuing counter-clockwise, the next two sculptures are entitled "Heavy Contact South of Con Thien" and "Triage", respectively. You don't need to answer any questions about these.
- Tell us what you appreciated the most about your visit here today.
- Finally, you will need to post a photo of your GPS device or a personal item at the location. A personal item could be a sign with your geocaching name, your geocaching good luck charm or talisman, or your geocaching mascot. Alternatively, you can post a picture of yourself at the location, keeping in mind that seeing your face in the photo is appreciated, but not required! Do not post any photos where one can see the answers to any of the above questions. They will be deleted.
Do not include any answers to the above questions in your log, even if encrypted, or we will have to delete your entry. If you do not e-mail us the answers to the above questions within a reasonable amount of time your log will be deleted.
|
We truly hope that you have walked away moved by this memorial. If you appreciated your visit here, please consider awarding this cache a favorite point!
|
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
Update - March 1, 2020
This Virtual geocache was the brainchild of my husband, Owl. He passed away on April 13, 2018. Although this virtual cache is not and should not be about any single person, I thought that perhaps those of you who knew Owl personally might appreciate the photo below. It is a photo of him in front of his F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bomber, flown during Vietnam.
- pussycat
