CHICAGO, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Somber speakers read the names of more than 2,900 Illinois service personnel killed or missing in Vietnam Friday at the dedication of a memorial in Chicago.
The redesigned Vietnam War memorial replaces a smaller memorial that stood downtown near the Riverwalk along the Chicago River. The new memorial has fountains, a wall of falling water, a replica of the Vietnamese service medal, and the names of nearly 3,000 fallen soldiers carved in granite.
"It's an honor to be here today," said one Vietnam veteran who rubbed a copy of the name of a friend who did not return home.
The city's original Vietnam War memorial was moved because of a roadway reconstruction project and officials made sure the reconstructed memorial was ready to be dedicated Veterans Day.
