FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — On a hilltop overlooking Kentucky’s state Capitol sits one of the Commonwealth’s most striking and meaningful landmarks: the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Dedicated in 1988, the granite plaza honors 1,109 Kentuckians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. At its center stands a 14-foot gnomon, the upright portion of a sundial. Each day, its shadow moves across the memorial, falling precisely on the name of a veteran on the anniversary of their death.
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The idea for the memorial came from a group of Vietnam veterans determined to make sure their fallen brothers and sisters would never be forgotten. At the time, in the early 1980s, few seemed eager to revisit the war. But the veterans pressed on, rallying support until the project became a reality. Lexington architect and Navy veteran Helm Roberts designed the memorial with such mathematical precision that, decades later, the sundial remains accurate to the day and hour. His work has been called a masterpiece of engineering, history, and reverence.
For Vietnam veteran Jerry Cecil, the memorial is more than stone and shadow. He visits about 30 times a year and says he’s never been there without encountering someone paying respects. “This is about respect, remembrance, and reverence,” Cecil said. “You’re never forgotten as long as someone is still saying your name. And that’s what happens here every day.” On October 22, the shadow pointed to the name of Frank Dunford, a soldier from Cecil’s platoon who was killed in 1967. Cecil makes a point to visit annually on that day, taking a photo of Dunford’s name and sharing it with fellow veterans who served alongside him.
The memorial continues to attract people from across the country, including veterans like Mark and Barbara Santasiero of the U.S. Air Force, who visited while traveling in their RV. They described it as unlike any other tribute they had seen. “As much as we appreciate the Vietnam Wall, this gives recognition to each state’s veterans in such a unique way,” they said.
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The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is open year-round and has become one of the most visited landmarks in the state. It is maintained by the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization, without the use of taxpayer dollars. For loved ones and strangers alike, the memorial offers a place of quiet reflection — and a daily reminder that every name engraved in stone is a life remembered.
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