Elmhurst Park

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• Architect: Denise Mattes and Frank Varro
• Description: Two semi-circular granite walls inscribed with honor roll of 371 names of those who died, historical timeline, bamboo motif, memorial name, and military crests, surrounding a sunken seating area and plaza inscribed with a map.
• Materials: Barre Grey Granite
• Dimensions: Title and Bamboo Wall L: 36’ x W: 1’ x H: 4’6" ; Historic Wall and Names: L: 42’ x W: 1’ x H: 4’6"
• Dedicated: December 20, 2019
• Fabricator: Sprung Monuments, Corinthian Cast Stone Inc.,Barre Granite Association Inc.
• Donor: Borough President Melinda Katz (full amount)
• Inscription: MAY 7, 1954: COMMUNIST VIETNAMESE INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS DEFEAT FRENCH FORCES AT THE / BATTLE OF ĐIỆN BIÊN PHỦ. AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, IT IS DECIDED TO DIVIDE VIETNAM AT THE / 17TH PARALLEL WITH ELECTIONS PLANNED FOR 1956 TO DETERMINE THE FATE OF THE COUNTRY; THE / ELECTIONS ARE NEVER HELD. NGÔ ĐÌNH DIỆM DECLARES HIMSELF PRESIDENT OF THE NEWLY / ESTABLISHED REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN THE SOUTH WHILE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN / THE NORTH REMAINS A SEPARATE STATE UNDER HỒ CHÍ MINH. PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER / COMMITS THE UNITED STATES TO MAINTAIN SOUTH VIETNAM'S INDEPENDENCE UNDER DIỆM. //
  
  UNDER EISENHOWER, THE U.S. MILITARY REPLACES FRANCE AS THE PROTECTOR OF THE DEMOCRATIC / SOUTH VIETNAM. ON JULY 8, 1959, THE FIRST U.S. SERVICEMEN ARE KILLED IN COMBAT AT BIÊN HÒA / BY THE COMMUNIST SOUTH VIETNAMESE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT, BETTER KNOWN AS THE VIET / CONG. BY YEAR'S END THERE ARE 760 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM. //
  
  JUNE 9, 1961: VICE PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON VISITS SOUTHEAST ASIA AND / RECOMMENDS A "STRONG PROGRAM OF ACTION" IN VIETNAM. WHILE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY / REFUSES TO DEPLOY AMERICAN COMBAT FORCES, HE INCREASES MILITARY SUPPORT TO THE SOUTH / WITH ADDITIONAL ADVISORS AND HELICOPTERS. BY NOVEMBER 1963, 16,000 U.S. MILITARY / PERSONNEL ARE STATIONED IN VIETNAM. //
  
  AFTER MONTHS OF CONTINUED INFIGHTING IN SAIGON, PRESIDENT DIỆM IS OVERTHROWN AND / ASSASSINATED IN A MILITARY-LED COUP D'ÉTAT ON NOVEMBER 2, 1963. JUST TWENTY DAYS LATER / ON NOVEMBER 22, PRESIDENT KENNEDY IS HIMSELF ASSASSINATED AND VICE PRESIDENT LYNDON / B. JOHNSON IS SWORN IN AS THE 36TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. DIỆM'S ASSASSINATION / CREATES A POWER VACUUM IN THE SOUTH AND PROVIDES THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AN / OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THE VIET CONG. //
  
  AUGUST 7, 1964: CONGRESS PASSES THE GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION AFTER TWO U.S. / NAVY DESTROYERS REPORT BEING ATTACKED OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM IN THE GULF OF TONKIN. / ALTHOUGH THE DETAILS OF THE GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT ARE LATER CALLED INTO QUESTION, THE / COURSE OF AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM IS FOREVER CHANGED. PRESIDENT JOHNSON USES / THE RESOLUTION AS A PRETEXT FOR DIRECT AMERICAN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN THE EXPANDING / WAR BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM. //
  
  THE U.S. COMMENCES OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER, A MASSIVE BOMBING CAMPAIGN OF THE / NORTH, AND DEPLOYS COMBAT PERSONNEL TO SOUTH VIETNAM. AMERICAN GROUND PERSONNEL / ENGAGE IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS TO ACTIVELY LOCATE AND DESTROY ENEMY COMMUNIST FORCES / IN AN INCREASING EFFORT TO WEAKEN ENEMY RESOLVE FOR WAR. AMERICAN GROUND FORCES / NUMBER 23,300 IN 1964, AND BY THE END OF 1965 THE NUMBER RISES TO 184,000. //
  
  SUPPORT FOR THE WAR IN THE U.S. BEGINS TO WANE AS OPPOSITION RISES IN THE COMING YEARS. / IN APRIL 1967, 100,000 ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY. AT YEAR'S END, THERE / ARE 485,600 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM. //
  
  ON JANUARY 30, 1968 VIET CONG AND NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES LAUNCH THE TET OFFENSIVE / AGAINST PROVINCIAL CAPITALS ACROSS SOUTH VIETNAM. INITIALLY CATCHING AMERICAN AND SOUTH / VIETNAMESE FORCES BY SURPRISE, THE COMMUNIST FORCES ARE SOON TURNED BACK WITH HEAVY / LOSSES, PARTICULARLY TO THE VIET CONG. THE TET OFFENSIVE IS CONCURRENTLY A MILITARY DEFEAT / AND A POLITICAL VICTORY FOR THE COMMUNISTS. THE RESULTING SHIFT IN THE AMERICAN PUBLIC'S / SUPPORT FOR THE WAR MOVES THE U.S. TOWARD SEEKING WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN MILITARY / PERSONNEL. IN MAY, PRESIDENT JOHNSON ANNOUNCES THAT FORMAL PEACE TALKS WOULD BEGIN. / BY DECEMBER 31, THERE ARE 536,100 U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH VIETNAM.//
  
  JUNE 8, 1969: PRESIDENT RICHARD M. NIXON ANNOUNCES A STRATEGIC SHIFT DEEMED / "VIETNAMIZATION", WHEREBY THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE MILITARY WILL TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN / DEFENSE AS AMERICA STEPS BACK. BY THE END OF 1969, U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN SOUTH / VIETNAM NUMBER 475,200. //
  
  IN RESPONSE TO NORTH VIETNAM'S 1972 EASTER OFFENSIVE, THE U.S. LAUNCHES OPERATION / LINEBACKER TO HELP THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE STOP THE COMMUNIST ADVANCE. HOWEVER AFTER / MONTHS OF FAILED PEACE TALKS, NORTH VIETNAMESE NEGOTIATORS REFUSE TO CONTINUE. / PRESIDENT NIXON THEN AUTHORIZES OPERATION LINEBACKER II, A MASSIVE CONVENTIONAL / BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST TARGETS IN HANOI AND HAIPHONG. THE BOMBING RAIDS ARE THE / LARGEST HEAVY BOMBER STRIKES FLOWN BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE SINCE WORLD WAR II. THE / ATTACKS CONCLUDE WHEN THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AGREE TO RETURN TO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. //
  
  JANUARY 15, 1973: PRESIDENT NIXON ANNOUNCES A HALT TO ALL U.S. OFFENSIVE / ACTION. ON MARCH 29, THE WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM AND / THE RELEASE OF 590 U.S. PRISONERS OF WAR ARE COMPLETED. AT THE END OF 1973, TOTAL / U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN VIETNAM NUMBER 50.//
  
  SPRING 1975: THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CEASEFIRE AND THE / RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT NIXON TO LAUNCH A NEW INVASION, ATTACKING THE SOUTH / VIETNAMESE CAPITAL OF SAIGON AS THE REMAINING U.S. MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC / PERSONNEL EVACUATE, ALONG WITH SELECT SOUTH VIETNAMESE CITIZENS. ON APRIL 30, / 1975, THE VIETNAM WAR ENDS AS NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES SEIZE THE CAPITAL, AND THE / SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IS BORN. THE VIETNAM WAR COST THE LIVES OF MORE / THAN 58,300 U.S. MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS. //
  
  POSTWAR: VETERANS CONTINUED TO / LOSE THEIR LIVES FROM POST-TRAUMATIC / STRESS DISORDER, LINGERING PHYSICAL / INJURIES, AND DISEASES AND CANCERS / LINKED TO AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE. //
  
  ONE OF THOSE VETERANS WAS QUEENS / RESIDENT PASTOR "PAT" TORO WHO LOST HIS / LIFE AFTER RETURNING HOME. THE CREATION / OF THE QUEENS VIETNAM VETERANS / MEMORIAL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN / POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIS ADVOCACY.
  
  [TEXT IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN HONOR ROLL OF 371 NAMES OF THOSE FROM QUEENS WHO DIED IN THE VIETNAM WAR]