Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Veterans Day Ceremony Production Comes Together Councilman At-Large David Oh, the only veteran member of council, delivers remarks during the filming of the annual Veterans Day ceremony this past weekend at the Memorial. Municipal Court President Judge Pat Dugan, an Army Reserve captain and veteran of the Irag and Afghanistan wars, confers with Executive Director Mike Daily during the production. As the 82nd Airborne Division Association Hadjak-Mokan Chapter provide out color guard and the Vietnam Veterans of America Liberty Bell Chapter 266 provided the firing detail, along with the Police Department. The full video will be streamed on Veterans Day at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Tune in on PVVM FB a page and possibly UTube at 12:30.

Virtual Ceremony Marks Veterans Day 2020 PRESS RELEASE Nov. 5, 2020 Councilman David Oh, the only veteran member of City Council, delivers remarks honoring veterans on Nov. 11 at 12:30 p.m. in a virtual event that will be streamed via our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pvvmfund ... The actual ceremony was filmed without an audience on Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial (PVVM). Even in this pandemic, we must remember and pay tribute to the Veterans who have served. This virtual event, being streamed on Veterans Day, does just that while giving the Veterans who would normally attend in person -- many of whom are at a higher risk from COVID-19 -- a safe way to view the service, noted. Terry Williamson, PVVM president. The video was produced by board member Melodee Mercer, an award-winning videographer known for her production of Journeys to Freedom: The Vietnamese Refugee Story, and Tom Daily, a multi-media producer. The MC of the ceremony was PVVM vice president Dennis Best and the logistics were handled by PVVM Executive Director Mike Daily. Assisting in the ceremony were long-time participants in Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances: the color guard of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Hadjak Mokan Chapter, Vietnam Veterans of America Liberty Bell Chapter 266 firing detail, and former Marine Sgt. Bill Mead, who sung the Star Spangled Banner. In addition, Police District 6 offered echo taps by Det. John Halloran and Officer Ron Baker, as well as their firing detail. Municipal Court Chief Judge Patrick Dugan, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a captain in the US Army Reserve, attended with the 82nd Airborne, of which he is a member. Although there was not a formal wreath-laying presentation, Custodian Jim Moran, Mike Daily and Fund-raising Chair Sandy Bukowski, placed a wreath at the Wall of Names. Sandy also concluded the ceremony by acknowledging the most recent names of engraved pavers on the walkway of honor; and that March 5 would be the deadline for pavers for Spring 2021, as well as the board’s appreciation for so many who offered financial support to replace stolen AV equipment Veterans Day 2018

We are excited to announce that Journeys to Freedom: The Vietnamese Refugee Story, the documentary produced for the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is being screened at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival from November 5 15, 2020. This year the festival is virtual (with International screenings). Watching the preview the other night we are proud to be among such an interesting and impressive group of films. If you are interested in checking it out, you ca...n find the program and the ticketing information here: https://tickets.paaff.org/2020/ It’s a chance to stay home in a COVID-safe environment and see a great selection of new films, including ours. As part of the ticket price, you will be able to watch a Q&A session with Melodee Mercer, board member and film producer, and film subjects Dr. Anh Ly (also a board member) and Quyen Ngo along with other filmmakers in the Southeast Asian Tracks portion of the festival. Southeast Asian Tracks consists of four short documentaries following, Vietnamese refugees, child soldiers, and factory workers. This collection of shorts uncovers the different tracks followed by those who contribute to the varied Southeast Asian experience.

Overbook Grad First Enlisted at 13 Years Old Daring and independent, Steven Kirby of N. Markoe St. West Philadelphia, joined the Army when he was 13 years old. He was honorably discharged several months later when his age was discovered, but the youngster remained thoroughly convinced the Army was for him. Kirby returned to Overbrook High School and became a star football player. He re-enlisted in early 1967, and this time stayed in the Army. The corporal, a rifleman, was sent to Vietnam, where he was assigned to Company A of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Kirby died on February 24, 1967, two days after his 19th birthday. He was survived by his mother, three brothers and a sister... from The Philadelphia Daily News. Thanks to Bob Reilly,

The 33rd anniversary of the dedication of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1987-2020) began with vandals breaking into the storage locker that held t...he electronics for our events. The investigation and assessment of items is on-going. Thank you to all who have reached out with their support. See more

The PVVM marks its 33rd year anniversary today. Dedicated October 26, 1987 ‘It is our duty to remember’

The annual name reading of the ‘648’, sponsored by VVA Chapter 266, was well attended today. Special thanks to all of the volunteers who read a panel in honor of those on the ‘Wall’; and to Chapter 266 members who organized the event. Monday oberves the 33rd anniversary of the dedication of our beautiful memorial. 1987-2020

City Councilman David Oh, the only veteran on Council, will be the keynote speaker at our Veterans Day virtual ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 12:30 p.m. Because of restrictions related to the Covid virus, the ceremony will be held and filmed at a different date without an audience and then streamed on Veterans Day via our Facebook page. Participating in the ceremony will be the color guard from the 82ndnd Airborne Division Association's Hadjak-Mokan Chapter, the firing de...tail from the VVA Liberty Bell Chapter 266, Bill Mead singing the Star Spangled Banner and buglers playing taps from the Philadelphia Police Department. PVVMF will place a wreath, but there will be no formal wreath-laying ceremony. Organizations who wish to place a wreath may do so whenever they choose. Councilman Oh resigned from the District Attorney's office n 1988, to enlist in the U.S. Army. He served with the, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Army National Guard, from 1989 to 1992. He graduated from Central High School, Dickinson College and Rutgers University Law School. He was first elected as a council member at large in 2011. He is a past chairman of the Hadjak-Mokan Chapter.

Please consider a switchover from your Amazon account to smile.amazon.com. A small percentage of your purchases are donated for the upkeep of our beautiful Memorial. Thank you.

Philadelphia Police and Veterans Color Guard Support Ceremony John Halloran of 6th District plays taps at the National POW/MIA Day observance at the Memorial on Friday. He was joined by the police firing detail and the 82nd Airborne Association Hadjak-Mokan chapter honor guard. The ceremony took place before the new National POW/MIA Monument to those from the Vietnam War. Photos by Cat Nguyen.