PORTLAND:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Service | Willamette National Cemetery Service
Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial Service
The event at the park this year
is 100% confirmed. See you there!
10:00 to 11:00am (reading*) 11:00am to 12:00pm (ceremony)
*The event begins with a reading of the names of every single one of the Oregonians killed during the Vietnam War or missing in action.
Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park
4000 SW Canyon Rd
Portland, OR 97221
NOTE ON PARKING: If you have not visited this Memorial (or the Portland Zoo) and dealt with parking, this video tour of the park may help.
Program Details | Directions
Excellent videos of each portion of the 2025 ceremony are available here. An archive with details and photos of past Memorial Day ceremonies, from 2019 to the present, is available here.
More About Portland’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Covering eight acres in the Hoyt Arboretum area of Washington Park, Oregon Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial opened on Veterans Day in 1987. It is perhaps the most singularly beautiful war memorial in the state of Oregon, providing solace to thousands of
Note that a total of 828 Oregonians served in Vietnam and died there, either in combat or later in life, as a result of their service. Of these Oregon Vietnam veteran “brothers” 805 were killed in Vietnam or are MIA. 801 of those men also have their names (seen here) on the Vietnam War Memorial in D.C. 790 of those men appear in Department of Defense records with Oregon as their “home of record.” They have their names on the Vietnam War Memorial in Salem.
*Here is some more perspective on the challenge of Memorial Day to pay tribute to all Oregonian service members, from each American war or conflict, who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Willamette National Cemetery Service
10:00 to 11:00am
Willamette National Cemetery
11800 SE Mt Scott Blvd
Happy Valley, OR 97086
Program Details | Directions
My grandson was laid to rest this last December 2022 . He was only a few months into boot camp and came home for Christmas. He died of a fentanyl overdose on the 30th. 3 days before he was due to return. I cannot express the pain our family feels. The Army was exceptional in helping my daughter during the process. I will be there tomorrow!
MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE https://youtu.be/GwPWzVJBF6Y
THE PROMISE BY JACK MURPHY, VIETNAM VETERAN.
Beautiful song and tribute to your brother! Well done! And thank you for your service. Godspeed.
My husband Dale was just laid to rest at Willamette on July 14 this year. Hope to be able to attend a military ceremony on Veterans Day or Memorial Day, as he was such a Proud Veteran and deserves the honor.
It’s been a tough year! A battle many were not prepared for. We are gaining on the recovery, even if we don’t agree with the freedoms we feel we deserve right now. We’ll get there, together!
I’ve attended Memorial Day tributes at Willamette National Cemetery (my father’s resting place) and Deschutes Memorial Gardens in Bend (my father-in-law’s resting place). Both WWII airmen, one a prisoner of war. They too were of the generation that did not speak of the war, loss, struggles and both carried much of if to their final resting place. Both were fortunate to have survived to live to 61 yrs of age and 82 yrs of age respectively.
Again, on Memorial Day 2021, The National Moment of Remembrance Memorial Taps at 3:00 your local time. Feel free to create a moment of rememberance.
Here is a link from Taps Across America 2020. It will happen again 2021. Watch CBS for updates, for now:
https://www.tapsbugler.com/memorial-day-taps-national-moment-of-remembrance-2020/
Thank you, Kristin!
The families of fallen soldiers never forget. Our hero never comes home. There’s not a day goes by that we don’t feel the absence of Rodney Dean Martinez who died December 2nd 1967. He was 21 years old. He volunteered to go to a war zone. His patriotism was sincere and pure and dedicated to the ideals of freedom and justice. He believed that his participation was in pursuit of a better world.
We now know that none of that was true. This young man (who gave all), gave all for no good reason.
It’s the saddest thing to know that a beautiful life ended in vain. Now multiply that one by 40,000.
We never forget.
Thank you so much, Paula, for sharing your thoughts. They shine a beautiful and moving light on Rodney and the nature and sacred task of remembering. May G-d bless Rodney and your family, this Memorial Day and always. He and each of you are not forgotten. -Marc
May he Rest In Peace. I am so sorry and can’t imagine the pain, I just know I have a small boy who dreams of being a soldier one day. And that breaks my heart to think of the ultimate sacrifice the men pay with. My grandma’s brothers some of them didn’t come back from WW II. Maybe they all RIP, they are not forgotten.
Dear Mother Paula D’Annibale;
Perhaps those who gave all in an apparently futile charge actually gave notice to those of us who survived and experienced at least the witnessing of an awakening against the generally futile dogmatism of war itself. Again I hope that this thought of those of us who care about all of these apparently pointless sacrifices can give you some solstice.
Why on earth not? OK to shop, OK to dine out but nothing (however modest) to remember those who gave their lives in there service of our nation.
I agree 100% with Michael. Even a modest memorial is better than none.
I am the sister of a 3 tour of duty Viet Nam and Gulf war Vet.
I so agree with you. 🙁
May they Rest In Peace and know they are not forgotten. I wanted to take my son who turned 10 years old to the ceremony, however there is none. Wished our fallen soldiers were given the respect they deserved, they made the ultimate sacrifice. RIP
We will miss attending your Memorial Day service again this year but are grateful for all you do to keep the Willamette National Cemetery so beautiful. We have family and friends for whom it is their final resting place.
Living In Connecticut I don’t get out to honor my mother and stepfather (WWII Vet) and my father (KIA 11/23/1944) who are all buried in your cemetery.
I’m going there today to visit my father! I too don’t get there as often as I would like .but if you tell me the names of yours I will go and visit them for you! And anything you want me to say!
Thanks to all the dedicated Cemetery staff that maintain such a beautiful and peaceful resting place for our loved ones.
Deen Thomas
Sgt. USA Vietnam