At the height of the Vietnam War, over half a million American soldiers and officers were deployed in Vietnam. More than 58,000 U.S. citizens were killed or went missing in action during the conflict. New York City pays tribute to its service members at the Vietnam Veterans Plaza in Manhattan, a memorial square that serves as a powerful reminder of the city’s residents who served overseas. Read on for more details from manhattanyes.
A Brief History of the War
The Vietnam War, one of the longest armed conflicts in U.S. history, spanned from 1955 to 1975. Its roots trace back to the 1940s, originating as a clash between communists and French colonialists. In 1954, France, which had colonized Vietnam before and during World War II, divided the country. At that time, the communists, led by Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and based in the north, defeated the French. The subsequent signing of the Geneva Accords further split Vietnam into a communist North and a pro-American South.
In 1955, to prevent the spread of communism, the U.S. convinced South Vietnam not to adhere to the terms of the signed agreements. This decision ignited a military confrontation between the country’s northern and southern halves. The North received support from the USSR and China, while the South was backed by the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and other allies. Americans fought in distant Asia with the aim of preventing the spread of communist ideology first in Vietnam, and then into other nations. However, despite the United States’ advanced economy and powerful armed forces, North Vietnam ultimately claimed victory.
Honoring 1,741 New Yorkers
On May 4, 1985, then-New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch dedicated the Vietnam Veterans Plaza. The plaza was opened to honor the 250,000 New York men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces from 1964 to 1975. It specifically commemorates the 1,741 city residents who died during the Vietnam War.
The plaza itself consists of two land parcels. This area was once a roadway known as Coenties Slip, a route used by Dutch sailors as early as the 17th century. In 1886, landscape architect Samuel Parsons Jr. designed a park on the site. More than 60 years later, Robert Moses redeveloped it, adding courts for tennis, paddleball, handball, shuffleboard, and more. In 1971, Paul Friedberg again redesigned the space, incorporating a fountain.
In the early 1980s, Mayor Edward I. Koch proposed creating a memorial on this site to honor those who fought and died in Vietnam. In 1983, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission raised $2.5 million in private donations to fund the project. Of this, $1 million came from Donald Trump, who co-chaired the commission. On July 20, 1983, the location was officially renamed “Vietnam Veterans Plaza.” A year later, it was announced that a memorial wall, similar to the one at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial but made of glass blocks, would be installed in the plaza.
In 2001, the plaza underwent a $7 million restoration aimed at enhancing its appeal. This renovation introduced a new grand entrance, additional plantings, and a circular black granite fountain that creates a curtain of water. Visitors are greeted by an engraved stainless steel map providing a geographical perspective of the war and detailing combat zones in South Vietnam. Following the restoration, Mayor Rudy Giuliani rededicated the plaza on November 9, 2001.
Unique Design
The plaza’s design was a collaborative effort by architects Peter Wormser and William Fellows, along with veteran-writer Joseph Ferrandino. The wall, crafted from translucent glass blocks, is engraved with excerpts from letters, poems, and diary entries written by service members. Along its base runs a granite ledge where visitors often place tokens of remembrance, such as children’s shoes, military patches, drawings, plaques, and American flags.
Near the wall stands a monument dedicated to the three service members who returned from the war, unveiled in 1984 on Veterans Day. Artist Frederick Hart used patina to give the bronze monument a unique color variation. Additionally, within a grove of eight trees, another sculpture, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, stands. Dedicated in 1993, this monument honors the contributions of women to the Vietnam War. It depicts three nurses: one sits on sandbags holding a wounded service member; another looks skyward for aid (perhaps awaiting a helicopter); and the third kneels behind sandbags, holding a helmet.
Overall, the Vietnam Veterans Plaza serves as a significant venue for numerous ceremonies dedicated to veterans. It is a space for honoring those who served in Vietnam, especially the 1,741 New Yorkers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Incidentally, another monument to Vietnam War veterans, the Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is located in Queens. Opened in 2019, this memorial features a recessed elliptical space framed by two gray granite walls. One wall is etched with the names of 371 Queens residents who were either killed or went missing in action. It is the first memorial in the borough dedicated to all its residents who participated in the Vietnam War.