The Wall of Honor, LZ Peace Memorial

The names of over 75 veterans are etched into the wall, forever reminding us that their courage was our greatest triumph and their sacrifice was our greatest loss. Also, in this peaceful setting, a Huey helicopter that served in Vietnam rests above the Wall of Honor.

Every Memorial Day and Veterans Day at 11 a.m. members of the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society hold a memorial service honoring those who died in Vietnam and in all other American wars.

The wall itself is crafted from Academy Black granite which was quarried from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the small town of Clovis, California, near Fresno. This granite was formed during the Jurassic era, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The Academy Black granite is used in the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC; 

Guided tours of the LZ Peace Memorial are available. Please call Nick Parnello at 815-968-1040 for more information. Nick is one of the founders of the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society and has an encyclopedic memory. He can probably tell you when each phase of the memorial was started and completed.

A personally guided tour generally takes about an hour. But of course it can last longer and when it's over you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. The tours are free but if you'd like to make a donation* to the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society it would be greatly appreciated. 

Not many people can get up close and personal to a real "Vietnam War helicopter," one that actually flew and saw combat, but you can do that here on Nick's guided tour. He has the keys for everything so he'll open the doors and you can look inside.

Try to imagine how your son or that skinny neighbor kid who was only 18 years old felt flying into combat. That's a scary thought. It's guaranteed to give you goosebumps and put a lump in your throat. 

Many family members of the Heroes on the Wall will come here to be closer to their loved one whether it's their father, their son, their husband, or an old friend. One man who comes here several times a year went to grade school with six of these Vietnam veterans whose names are etched in stone.

Army reservist veteran, Quinten Barclay, who was the President of Cummings Advertising, frequently came to the Wall for times of quiet contemplation and to meditate.

Quint, as his friends called him, died several years ago, and his wife, Martha, donated one of the benches you see surrounding the wall. You can see about 12 benches so there's always a nice place to rest and think about what was, and, what might have been. 

God bless these brave Americans. May they rest in peace.

Click here for a PDF map and story about Black Academy Granite.

*The Vietnam Veteran's Honor Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and contributions and donations to us are tax-decuctible to the extent of the law.