This is a very nice memorial in a beautiful park here in Missoula, dedicated November 11, 1988. "In honor of the 36,000 Montanans who served in the Vietnam war. It's never too late to say thanks." (from a plaque at the memorial) I'm not sure who the deity is supposed to be, but I like the empty bottle of Jack Daniels with a flag and flowers someone has left here. It's obvious this is well cared for. And there is a time capsule, which is extremely cool.
As I'm driving my dad's jeep this summer, with his Vietnam Veteran ribbon license plate holders, I feel a particular obligation to visit all the service memorials I'm passing on this trip. It's interesting to see how the different areas of the country memorialize our country's wars. Boston seems to focus more heavily on the Revolution than any other - understandable as so many of the events happened there. In small towns, without a lot of other immediate choices people can make, the military is a larger part of the environment of the whole community. And there seems to be more of a focus on the current veterans being created, and the issues surrounding our current wars. Other communities vary in their approach; but it looks to me like Missoula is doing a nice job.
Although my GPS called this the Vietnam veterans memorial, there are different memorials all around the park to soldiers lost in different wars. Very impressive.
I really like Missoula. Home of Adventure Cycling and a big university, it has bike lanes and that young, funky feeling of a college town. And it combines that with a lot of gun stores and other trappings of a conservative philosophy. I would imagine the mixture is challenging at times, but certainly makes this a neat place to visit. It I ever leave New England, this is definitely on my list of places to move!
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