Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation

Dedicated on April 20, 1966, the Charlottesville Dogwood Vietnam Memorial (the “Memorial) is the first public-civic memorial in the United States of America to honor all members of the United States Military who served and those who gave their lives in the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Each year since, there has been an annual re-dedication of the Memorial. The next such re-dedication will take place on April 22, 2016 and will mark the 50th anniversary of this historic Memorial.

Shortly after the loss of the Albemarle-Charlottesville area's first casualty from the war in Vietnam, the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival, Incorporated, had the idea of creating a memorial. From that date forward, the Dogwood Festival, with the help of the City of Charlottesville, has been responsible for the continuance of the Memorial. Over the years, however, the Memorial evolved such that it required more attention than the Festival alone could provide. Thus in January 2015, The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation, Inc. was established as a separate entity to focus exclusively on the Memorial.