2,000 witness York County Vietnam Memorial unveiling, and next day many keep stopping by
The York County (Pa.) Vietnam Veterans Memorial was unveiled on Saturday, Oct. 3, attracting a crowd of 2,000. But people kept coming by on Sunday to see it in the York Expo Center’s front yard. (See video of the unveiling ceremony below.) Also of interest: Wrightsville’s overlooked monuments to vets and Vietnam vets wall moves York countians and War memorials stand proudly in towns throughout York County.
A steady stream of people visited the long-awaited York County Vietnam Memorial Sunday afternoon, the day after it was unveiled.
On that sunny afternoon, many people stuck around, and their quiet presence attracted others to the York Expo Center site to see the newest monument rendered by Dallastown artist Lorann Jacobs… .
She sculpted three life-sized Americans at ground level. Above them, reaching 16-feet in the air, is a bronze eagle that rotates in the wind.
The monument is near the Expo Center’s front gate and visible from Carlisle Road. Flood lights will spotlight it at night.
Some of those visiting Sunday appeared to be folks attending events at Memorial Hall and other Expo Center buildings.
That could indicate a serendipity factor at play in the future: Local folks and visitors attending York Expo functions who did not plan to visit the monument or who did not know about it will stop to take in the monument.
On Saturday, a large audience looked on as the monument was unveiled.
Longtime local veterans advocate Barre Shepp served as master of ceremonies.
The York Daily Record/Sunday News’ writer Jeff Frantz captured the scene:
Then the music came up, and Barre Shepp, veteran leader and master of ceremonies, stepped to the microphone on the stage before the crowd, more than 2,000 in chairs and hundreds more standing.
“Welcome home,” he said.
Well said.
Other posts about steps leading up to the unveiling of the Vietnam Memorial:
– Meditate on these names of brave York countians who paid ultimate price in Vietnam War.
– York Vietnam vet: ‘My last job in the Marine Corps was notification of next of kin’.
– No Vietnam War monument exists, but York County vets group is fixing that.
– York County Vietnam marker funding at half-way mark; looking for more.
