Vietnam Women’s Memorial to mark 30th anniversary

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., a weekend of events will honor the 265,000 women veterans – military and civilian – who served during the Vietnam era.

Hosted by Eastern National in coordination with the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Advisory Group, the National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, programs will include a candlelight ceremony at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 and a storytelling program at 10 a.m. on Veterans Day. The weekend will culminate in a 1 p.m. ceremony on Veterans Day at the memorial, where the annual Observance at the Wall will be dedicated to the anniversary.

The keynote speaker will be Diane Carlson Evans, chair of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Advisory Group and founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. A former Army combat nurse and Vietnam War veteran, she led a 10-year mission to build the memorial on the National Mall – the first in the nation’s capital to recognize the military service of women, as well as the patriotic service of civilian women. In 2021, Carlson Evans received The American Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal for her decades of veteran advocacy. She is a life member of Lewis & Clark Post 2 in Helena, Mont.

Anniversary events are open to the public and will be held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The candlelight and storytelling programs will take place at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial statue, 300 feet from the Wall.

To learn more about the memorial and coverage of the anniversary celebration, visit vietnamwomensmemorial.org. To learn more about Carlson Evans’ efforts to build the memorial, visit dianecarlsonevans.com.