Chapter 850 Members Honored for Memorials

Three members of VVA’s Chapter 850 in Kent County, Delaware, were honored recently for their work in planning and creating a memorial to area men who were killed in the Vietnam War. Dave Skocik, Delaware State Council (DSC) public affairs officer, Joe Startt Jr., Chapter 850 president, and Paul Davis, DSC president, received the Kent County Medal.

Startt suggested the county establish a memorial to residents who never returned from the Vietnam War. It was funded over time by selling more than 1,000 bricks for $75 apiece. Eventually, the chapter collected about $100,000 for the effort, Skocik said, and Kent County donated 1.5 acres for the memorial. Dedicated on Veterans Day 2009, the memorial is a granite panel listing the names of those killed and a map of what was once South Vietnam.

Since then, Chapter 850 has spearheaded efforts to add memorials to Gold Star mothers and families, Korean War veterans, veterans of the Middle East conflicts, and Vietnam Dust-Off pilots and crews in what is now called is now called Memorial Park, as well as a a POW/MIA Chair of Honor. Next up? A memorial to war dogs and their handlers.

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