Fundraising Begins for a Vietnam Memorial on DeLand Campus

A Stetson University fund has been established for a permanent memorial, on the DeLand campus, to the patriotism and service of students and graduates from all of Stetson’s colleges and schools who served in Vietnam or during the Vietnam era.

According to Dr. Jay Mechling ’67, the Stetson Vietnam and Vietnam Era Veterans Memorial will include benches, specimen trees, and a plaque in an appropriate campus space to honor veterans and to recognize their service and sacrifice as well as to support reflection about war and peace throughout history.

Mechling, who is not a vet, sees the Vietnam war as a central fact of the Stetson experience of students of his era, and he argues that the lessons of Vietnam will continue to be important to 21st century Stetson students, who will be called upon, as citizens if not soldiers, to make important decisions about America’s role in the world. For all of these reasons, but most importantly to honor extraordinary patriotism and service in a time of war, Mechling argues that this memorial is “the right and moral thing to do.”

Those interested in contributing may make a donation or pledge of any amount directly by using Stetson University’s Development Office online gift form found at www.stetson.edu/give and designating the gift for a “Campus Vietnam Memorial” under “Other.”

Specific details of the memorial will be determined depending on the success of fundraising. The goal is to have the site ready for dedication at Stetson University’s 2015 Homecoming, the 40th anniversary of the end of the war for Americans.

Questions or comments about this memorial should be referred to Dr. Jay Mechling at [email protected] or Dr. Grady Ballenger, professor of English, at [email protected].

This article was contributed by Dr. Grady Ballenger, Stetson University professor. 

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Post date: Aug. 26, 2014

Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580