| Vietnam Honor Roll |
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Thirty years ago last
April, the last American servicemen left Vietnam and that war was
finally over. However not all the men and women who came home from
this war were welcomed with marching bands or ticker tape parades.
The war divided the country as has no other since the American Civil
War. It was not until the Vietnam Wall was erected in Washington,
D.C. in 1982 to commemorate the 59,000 who died, that most towns saw
fit to erect monuments at all. |
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In
Atkinson a group of townspeople recognized this and set about to raise
the funds to erect the Vietnam monument which stands in front of town
hall, flanked by the flag poles. This is a tall, beautiful monument
with simple dignity. It is not an honor roll. |
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Atkinson Historical
Society member Carol Grant attempted via a warrant article to have
the funds raised to create honor roll panels bearing the names of
the Atkinson men and women who served in Vietnam, as well as those
who were in service during the war years, with the two panels to be
placed in front of the Town Hall on each side of the existing map
stone. This article was altered at the deliberative session to
$1.00, but was subsequently passed in the voting on Election Day. |
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Knowing that the
Historical Society had sponsored a fund drive for the creation of
the World War II and Korean Conflict honor roll, Mrs. Grant asked if
the Society would co-sponsor a fund drive to raise the amount needed
for the honor roll panels. |
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Historical Society members voted unanimously to do so, as it is the
preservation of history and we would be following the example of
those who did the same for the creation of the original monument. |
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These
honor roll panels will be black marble, identical to the map stone,
but shorter and not as wide. They will be sited outside of the flag
poles and slanted slightly towards the map stone. We would like to
dedicate these honor roll panels on Veterans Day, and in so doing
perhaps to bring to a close the Vietnam War for the town and people
of Atkinson. |
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