This fund was created in 2003 by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee to provide ongoing restoration and repairs to the Vietnam Veterans Monument located along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The initial $21,000 gift ensures that any structural damage to the monument, as well as plaques and the surrounding area, will be regularly repaired and restored by the City of Pittsburgh.
The sculpture at North Shore Riverfront Park, first dedicated in 1987, serves as a tribute to the many men and women who served our country during the Vietnam War. The sculpture gives a sense of “returning home,” featuring a dome shaped like an inverted hibiscus, an Asian symbol of rebirth and regeneration. Underneath it are life-size, bronze statues of a soldier returning to his family. A plaque accompanies the monument with a poem by late T.J. McGarvey, a former marine, Vietnam veteran and resident of Upper St. Clair, who was the driving force behind the monument. An excerpt of the poem reads: “Those who served – served; Those who gave all – live in our hearts; Those who are left – continue to give; As long as we remember – There is still some love left.”
Read more about the monument and T.J. McGarvey here: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2017/11/15/T-J-McGarvey-Driving-force-behind-Vietnam-vet-memorial/stories/201711150070.