For the first time, Delaware War Memorial to honor soldiers who fell in Vietnam, Gulf Wars

Matthew Korfhage, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·3 min read
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For nearly 70 years, the War Memorial Monument at Veterans Memorial Park has stood as a sober reminder of the thousands of soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey who gave their lives in World War II and the Korean War.

Since 1955, the names of the fallen from those two conflicts have been listed on the Memorial Wall near the Delaware Memorial Bridge, itself named in honor of those veterans.

2nd Lt. Rachel Sheridan, the only Delaware servicewoman to die overseas during World War II, is immortalized on the Memorial Wall at Memorial Park near New Castle.
2nd Lt. Rachel Sheridan, the only Delaware servicewoman to die overseas during World War II, is immortalized on the Memorial Wall at Memorial Park near New Castle.

But until now, veterans of the Vietnam War and later conflicts have not received the same honor.

That will change by next year, the bistate Delaware River and Bay Authority announced early Monday.

In June, the DRBA will begin a $5 million renovation that will shore up the deteriorating concrete base of the War Memorial Monument, upgrade lighting, improve drainage, replace the flagpoles for various armed service branches, and expand the plaza and Memorial Wall.

Renderings of the proposed $5 million renovation of the War Memorial Monument at Veteran's Memorial Park near New Castle. The renovation will add the neames of about 1,800 Delaware and New Jersey soldiers who died in the Vietnam War and later conflicts.
Renderings of the proposed $5 million renovation of the War Memorial Monument at Veteran's Memorial Park near New Castle. The renovation will add the neames of about 1,800 Delaware and New Jersey soldiers who died in the Vietnam War and later conflicts.

Perhaps most important, about 1,800 new names will be added to the wall. By next year, soldiers who died in conflicts after the Korean War will now also be honored by name.

These include soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey who fell during the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf Wars, as well as the myriad operations in the Middle East after 9/11: Freedom's Sentinel and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn in Iraq; and Inherent Resolve against the forces of ISIS.

“We are proud to maintain the Veterans Memorial Park as a peaceful spot for remembrance and reflection,” said DRBA Executive Director Thomas J. Cook, in a statement. “It is truly humbling to be reminded that nearly 20,000 local heroes paid the ultimate sacrifice in these global conflicts for the freedoms that we enjoy every day.”

Officals ask the public to help ensure that all fallen soldiers are honored

Renderings of the proposed $5 million renovation of the War Memorial Monument at Veteran's Memorial Park near New Castle. The renovation will add the neames of about 1,800 Delaware and New Jersey soldiers who died in the Vietnam War and later conflicts.
Renderings of the proposed $5 million renovation of the War Memorial Monument at Veteran's Memorial Park near New Castle. The renovation will add the neames of about 1,800 Delaware and New Jersey soldiers who died in the Vietnam War and later conflicts.

The $5 million renovation, headed by Pennsylvania-based Wickersham Construction and Engineering, Inc. is projected to be completed by May 2025. Money for the renovation comes from revenue from tolls on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

The Memorial Wall site will be closed for renovations beginning in October 2024, until its completion the following spring.

In the meantime, the DRBA is asking for your help, to make sure that soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey are properly honored and represented.

The DRBA has posted a list of the names it plans to add to the Memorial Wall at veteransmemorialpark.us/war-memorial-rehabilitation.

If you note that a fallen soldier's name has been omitted or misspelled, the DRBA asks you to fill out the submission form on the Memorial Park website by June 30, 2024.

Members of the Delaware national guard rifle party fires their weapons in a salute during the Memorial Day Ceremony Sunday, May 30, 2021, at Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle.
Members of the Delaware national guard rifle party fires their weapons in a salute during the Memorial Day Ceremony Sunday, May 30, 2021, at Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle.

The Memorial Wall and plaza will be restored to its original circular shape during this renovation — rather than the octagonal form introduced in 1996. A reflecting pool, also introduced in that 1996 renovation, will be removed to allow more space for public ceremonies.

A flagpole for the Space Force will be added. And, each of the name plates for the approximately 20,000 Delaware and New Jersey soldiers who fell in wars since World War II will be replaced.

Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region. Contact him at mkorfhage@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware War Memorial to add names of fallen Vietnam and Gulf veterans