Saturday’s unveiling of 58 plaques on the local Vietnam Memorial was a long time coming.
Some of those servicemen died more than 50 years ago, so that’s a significant span when it comes to recognizing their sacrifice.
But there’s another time element: Most of the plaques bearing the names of local Vietnam War fatalities were created around 1990, and it took more than 25 years for them to be unveiled.
The plaques had been in boxes all that time because there wasn’t a safe spot to display them, Vietnam veteran Dale Surface said.
That hurdle was cleared through a partnership that included the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Community Military Appreciation Committee. Dan Tarbell, co-chairman of the nonprofit, credits Surface with initiating the Vietnam Memorial.
Surface, meanwhile, rewound the narrative back to the late 1980s, when local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America wanted to honor their fallen comrades.
“Lloyd Ward worked for Columbia Machine,” Surface recalled. “He said, ‘Let’s get a memorial for Clark County vets killed in action and missing in action.’ He got some anodized aluminum and printed the plaques up.”
But the next step was a deal-breaker.
“Wherever we wanted to put them, they were vulnerable to theft,” Surface said. “We were going to put them on a trail off Andresen Road, but they wouldn’t have lasted.”
So the plaques went into four boxes and were stored in Surface’s home workshop. In 2006, Tarbell and Surface were working on a pulpit for the chapel at the Vancouver VA.
“Dale mentioned the plaques, and I wanted to see them,” Tarbell said. “He went to bench where I was working and pulled out a box.”
Tarbell’s reaction: “We need to have a memorial.”
Tarbell has state and national leadership positions with the 40 et 8 veterans association. As co-chairman of the Community Military Appreciation Committee, he is in contact with local civic leaders and agencies that deal with military and veterans affairs.
A Vietnam memorial committee came together, including building professionals who donated their services. Local businesses contributed materials and labor. The Portland VA system approved a secure site on its Vancouver campus. It all resulted in Saturday’s dedication and a home for those plaques.
“I’m happy to see they have a place,” Surface said. “They needed a place.”
Off Beat lets members of The Columbian news team step back from our newspaper beats to write the story behind the story, fill in the story or just tell a story.
