Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The involvement of American soldiers in military assistance and advisory operations in the Southeast Asian nation of Vietnam began in 1955 – escalating to direct combat operations that continued to the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975.

During this turbulent time in United States and world history, many students and graduates of Moorestown High School honorably served their country as part of the Armed Forces of the United States. Four of those schoolmates who served during the Vietnam War – Howard H. Mayer, Roger A. Ross, W. Phillip Seel, Jr, and George S. Yohnnson - gave their lives in the service of our country. The names of these fallen brethren are also honored in the Moorestown High School Gold Star Roll of Honor.

In remembrance of all those who served…recognizing their great accomplishments and personal sacrifices both in-country and after returning home…the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was placed on the grounds of Moorestown High School; where it endures to this day.

To complement the MHS Vietnam Veterans Memorial and to fully recognize and remember the schoolmates who served our country in Vietnam, a delegation of MHS students and staff visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC on December 9, 2016. They brought with them framed memorials, each signed by the students and staff of Moorestown High School, honoring the life and service of those schoolmates who were killed in action. The memorials were dedicated and placed for perpetual archiving with the National Park Service during a brief ceremony.

A video of that ceremony in Washington, DC is available for viewing here. (transcript)

 

About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

MHS Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Top View

A granite monument with embossed brass plaque affixed, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated during a special Memorial Day Ceremony in May 1969. The memorial was originally placed adjacent to the school’s flagpole, which stood (and still stands) immediately to the western side of the Moorestown High School main entrance.

Memorial Inscription: " Honoring our students who served their country in Vietnam "

MHS Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Long View

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, a series of renovations and new construction in and around the Moorestown High School campus precipitated the movement of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to a new location. The memorial was placed on the grass island immediately across from the Moorestown High School main entrance. The memorial has since remained…and is carefully maintained…at this location.

MHS Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Side View

The MHS Vietnam Veterans Memorial has played, and continues to play, an important part of Moorestown High School’s veterans programs. For many years, flowers were placed by the flagpole and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the conclusion of the annual MHS Memorial Day Ceremony. Though in recent years the event has been observed on Veteran’s Day, the placement of flowers remains…symbolizing the recognition and gratitude of the entire school community for the honorable service and sacrifice of the veterans of Vietnam...and all areas of conflict where brave citizens, before and since, have been called to duty.