Owner’s Rep Helps Bring New Life to the Philadelphia Vietnam Memorial

Illustrative panel on Philadelphia's Vietnam War Memorial

Constructed 25 years ago, the Philadelphia Vietnam Memorial is one of the nations most recognized and honors the 646 Philadelphia veterans who served and died for our country during the conflict that lasted almost 30 years.

Originally designed to be a contemplative space, the Memorial in recent years has been subject to vandalism, and has become a “hangout” for skateboarders, loiterers and graffiti artists.

During the past year, Owner’s Rep has worked with business leaders, civic groups and memorial representatives to plan a relocation of the Memorial to new grounds, forming a public park with improved safety and visibility.In conjunction with the move, Owner’s Rep has been instrumental in the development of a NEW memorial that will honor the South Vietnamese soldiers who fought side-by-side with U.S. troops. This independent monument will be situated between the Vietnam Memorial and the Korean Memorial, the three becoming a sanctuary for visitors and veterans alike.

The “opening” of what will be known as the “Monument of the RVN (Republic of South Vietnam) Heritage and Freedom Flag” will coincide with the re-installation of the Vietnam Memorials. Labor for both projects is being donated by the Philadelphia Building Trades, and many companies are contributing goods and services towards its completion.

Owner’s Rep will oversee much of the project since the firm was instrumental in the Phase One restoration of the Vietnam Memorial, and worked closely with the National Park Service to dismantle and move the Liberty Bell Pavilion from Independence Hall to the corner of 6th and Chestnut Street.

Also known as the Second Indochina War, the Vietnam War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November, 1955 to April, 1975.

The U.S. government became involved to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam, and ultimately to stop the spread of communism. The war exacted a huge number of fatalities with estimates varying between 800,000 and 3.1 million Vietnamese service

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members and civilians. 58,220 U.S. service members also died in the conflict.

In 1974, North Vietnamese communists prepared for a full-scale invasion of South Vietnam, thereby violating the Paris Agreement signed by the communist National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam.

After the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, many members of the RVN Armed Forces reused to surrender and committed suicide under the RVN Flag.

The planned Monument will bear that yellow and red banner and a U.S. flag that will honor the thousands of South Vietnam army members and citizens who sacrificed the lives in the cause of freedom in Vietnam.