Veterans Day is around the corner, and there is a new display to commemorate all of the lives lost during the Vietnam War.
At the Texas Surf Museum, the recently finished “Waves of Honor” memorial is on display for the public. Emily Veazey, Executive Director of the Texas Surf Museum said they wanted to “find a way to have a focus that was more to the Texas and Coastal Bend region."
And so, they decided to create the Waves of Honor memorial to honor every Texan who died in Vietnam.
There are 3,414 dog tags with first and last names, rank, military branch and hometown of each person killed in Vietnam during the war.
They are in alphabetical order displayed on eight panels in the walkway of the Texas Surf Museum.
This kind of memorial means a lot to the families of the ones on the wall.
Rosie Perez lost her brother, Jose G. Cortez, at the age of 19 in 1968.
“He was the driver of a tank, and it got blown up,” she says while holding a picture of her brother. “We were first told he was missing in action, so I think within a month or so that is when they came and told us that they had found his remains.“
Perez says she attends as many ceremonies as possible that honor veterans and the lives lost in all wars.
“It’s a wonderful feeling that they will never be forgotten,” she said.
The Texas Surf Museum will be having a dedication ceremony on Veterans Day on Monday at 11 a.m.
They will also be reading the names of every dog tag that hangs on the wall beginning at noon.
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