New Vietnam Veterans memorial dedicated in Springboro on Veterans Day

Hundreds gathered in Springboro on Veterans Day for the dedication of a new memorial honoring lives lost during and after the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Memorial at Gardner Park was unveiled Wednesday during a ceremony featuring Taps, the Pledge of Allegiance, a 21-gun salute and God Bless America.

Springboro Mayor John Agenbroad, a Vietnam veteran, was among those who gathered to honor the men and women who never returned home.

When Taps played earlier, I had to hold back the tears, Agenbroad said. Its a great day.

The memorial also honors Vietnamese citizens who lost their lives in re-education camps following the war and recognizes families who fled Vietnam and eventually found freedom in the United States.

I think its a wonderful dedication for men and women in the U.S., families that suffered and are here in freedom, and theyve had a great life, one attendee said. Its just a very moving ceremony.

Private funding and the vision of Dadlak Do, a Vietnamese refugee who now owns a business in Springboro and became one of the areas major employers, made the memorial possible.

We had one of our largest employers who fled Vietnam and came here and said, Im gonna build you a memorial, Agenbroad said.

This memorial is for you, for your families and for those whove never returned, Do said.

Now, thousands of names have a permanent place of honor at Gardner Park, preserving their stories for generations to come.