Nassau County Legislators Dave Mejias and Dennis Dunne were pleased to join Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi and fellow Nassau Legislators recently to present a check for $140,000 toward the construction of the Nassau County Vietnam Memorial to be built at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. The Vietnam Memorial was designed by Shannon Diamondstein, Hui Min Chin and Joan Benefiel and depicts two clasped hands holding wind chimes in the shape of dogtags. The sculpture will also include etched scenes of soldiers and their equipment that will be derived from actual photographs taken by veterans during that time.

In addition, there will be a map on the ground level that shows the borders between Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and the outer regions of the area including the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea. Inlaid bronze discs will mark the locations of major battles. The monument will be located in Eisenhower Park, adjacent to the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial and is expected to be completed by Veterans Day 2005. For more information on the Vietnam Memorial please contact the Nassau County Veterans Monument Fund at (516) 681-8214.