A week before Memorial Day, members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 16’s “SMART Army” volunteered to spruce up the grounds at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Portland’s Washington Park.
Fourteen journeymen and apprentices spent the morning of May 19 weeding, bark dusting, and doing general cleanup on the grounds. Dozens of other volunteers from various organization also took part.
The memorial consists of a 1,200-foot spiral path within a landscaped bowl containing lawns, flowers, and low hedges, surrounded by a mixture of tall trees. Along the path are monuments which list Oregon soldiers killed or missing in the conflict. Each monument is year-specific and contains short expositions on the history of the war.
