City Council has approved the installation of Agent Orange and War Dog memorials near the Vietnam Memorial in City Park.
The exact placement and design details are to be determined by the public works director, officials said at council’s meeting Monday night.
City Clerk Linda Kelleher, a member of the City’s Park monument committee, noted the significance of the existing Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1988.
The memorial’s bronze figure sits head bowed on granite steps on the south side of the park, near Hill Road. Behind the solitary soldier, a stone monolith bears the 65 names of those from Berks County killed or missing in action.
Designed by artist Anthony R. Guiffreda, a Marine Corps combat veteran of the Vietnam War, it has been described as reflective, moving and sad.
Kelleher said the committee stressed the need to thoughtfully integrate any new elements into the site.
The additions are intended to broaden recognition of the Vietnam War’s legacy, she said, honoring not only veterans affected by Agent Orange exposure but also the military working dogs that served alongside U.S. forces.
The Vietnam War was not the first for the country’s furry heroes.
Dogs got their first official role in the U.S. military when the Army K-9 Corps was created in 1942 during World War II, but they sometimes assisted American troops in battle earlier.
The U.S. sprayed more than 11 million gallons of the herbicide in Vietnam to remove vegetation that provided cover for enemies.
An estimated 2.1 million to 4.5 million Vietnam civilians lived in areas sprayed with Agent Orange or other herbicides, and around 2.8 million of the over 3.1 million U.S. forces on the ground were exposed between 1962 and 1975.
A grassroots committee of veterans and supporters raised funds for the two memorials and worked with the monument committee to modify the original designs. The size was reduced to 4 feet high from the initially proposed 6 feet, Kelleher noted, and the proposed bright orange color was muted to a rusted tone.
The design changes were made to avoid competing with the Vietnam Memorial, Kelleher said.
For more information, visit the Berks County Agent Orange and War Dog Memorials Facebook page, facebook.com/p/agent-orange-and-war-dog-memorial-61566828454637/ or email Diane Simmons at disi1958@aol.com.