Welcome to a short multi at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A group of Oregon Vietnam veterans were inspired by the dedication of Washington, DC’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982, and came up with the idea of a veterans memorial in Oregon. This memorial was dedicated in 1987.
The curved black granite wall lists the names of all Oregon residents who died in Vietnam or who are missing in action. The wall also chronicles the years of the conflict and concurrent local events, providing a poignant contrast.
Its location in the arboretum provides a serene setting for reflection. The memorial also includes several symbolic components: a bosque of pear trees at the entrance symbolizes life and sacredness; water elements in the Garden of Solace signify life, purity, and hope.
The site was built using no taxpayer money, and is maintained not by city workers but by volunteers.
You can start your walk at the posted coordinates.
You will find the final at N 45° 30.ABC W 122° 42.DEF
Waypoint 1 - 1959-1965: The first name listed is ________ W. Newton II. A = number of letters in his first name.
Waypoint 2 - 1966-1967: The top center chronicle begins “On land, at sea, and in the air …”. B = number of letters minus one in the last word of that sentence.
Waypoint 3 - 1968-1969: The top left chronicle begins “As usual, there was good news and bad.” There is a 3 digit number in the 3rd sentence. C = last digit of that number.
Waypoint 4 - 1970-1971: Right of center, on the chronicle that begins “Then there were the anti-war protests …”, in the last sentence there is a 2-digit number. D = sum of those 2 digits.
Waypoint 5 - 1972-1976: In the far right chronicle that begins “Such, then, were some of the happenings …”, there is a 3-digit number. E = sum of first and last digits of that number.
Waypoint 6 - There is a one-word title on the upper left of the last memorial. F = number of letters minus one in that title.
The checksum (total) of the numbers you got for A through F = 32.
You must pay for car parking in Washington Park, and it is limited, particularly during warm, sunny weekends. Here is a link to a website that shows some other transportation options:
Getting to Washington Park
Park hours are 5:00 am to 10:00 pm.