7/8/2009 Charlotte, NC – The Board of Directors for the Mecklenburg County Vietnam Veterans Memorial have retained the services of Zirez Design to design and build a new website for the Memorial Wall of Honor located at Thompson Park near uptown Charlotte, NC between Third and Fourth Streets at Kings Drive.

“In honor of those men and women who served and to those who gave their lives in Vietnam- from the people of Mecklenburg County. With this we reflect on the past, share with the present, and educate ourselves for the future.”

No government funds were used to build the memorial. Instead $356,000 in donations was received from corporations, foundations, veterans groups, a telethon and individuals. More than $100,000 was contributed from in-kind donations of construction materials, services and support. Approximately $16,000 remained to fund perpetual care and maintenance of the memorial.

The memorial committee reviewed parks and other locations throughout Mecklenburg County. A preliminary site was found in uptown Charlotte but it was later moved to the grounds of Thompson Park, home of the original Thompson Orphanage campus. This location provided a beautiful setting and adequate parking near major streets in uptown Charlotte. Project architects Little and Associates designed a memorial that starts at ground level and gently rises to a height of seven feet following the slope of the land. The 270-foot granite arc is placed among huge oak trees, landscaping and benches. The memorial panels include a timeline from 1959 to 1975 with an historical narrative of the war, designation of the US president serving at the time, a map of Southeast Asia, and excerpts of poems written by a local Vietnam veteran. The names of Mecklenburg County servicemen who died in Vietnam are listed on panels dated from 1965 to 1972, in order of date of death. The memorial wall and American flag are illuminated at night.

Ground was broken for the project on Memorial Day 1989. Granite came from a quarry in Elberton, GA and the descriptive information was sandblasted into the stone panels there. The granite was trucked to Charlotte over a period of weeks and construction lasted five months.

The memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day 1989. The event featured music by the Charlotte Oratorio Singers, instrumentalists and bagpipers and comments by elected officials, family representatives and veterans. The memorial was unveiled by Vietnam veterans and project supporters and viewed by hundreds in attendance, including General William C. Westmoreland, commander of American forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. Since the dedication the memorial has been the site of numerous public observances and ceremonies. Today it offers a place of quiet reflection, honor and education in the heart of the Queen City.

Zirez Design is a leader in high value custom web services including website design, web applications, search engine marketing and branding solutions. They were started with the notion of bringing a high level of professionalism and efficiency to the small business market that at the time only accommodated large businesses. Zirez Design has been creating websites and relationships with many local small, medium and large businesses in the Charlotte Region and pleased to be expanding it’s community reach with the Mecklenburg Co. Vietnam Veterans Memorial foundation.

For Zirez Design PR & Services, Please Contact:
704.222.9898
info@zirezdesign.com
www.zirezdesign.com

For Mecklenburg Co. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Please Contact:
Bill Guerrant
704.377.2838
guerrantcom@sprintmail.com
WEBSITE COMING SOON!