Iron County Monuments and Markers from Cedar City Library

Monuments and markers from throughout Iron County. These items honor people, places, and events significant to Iron County.

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Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). Glossary ARVN - Army Republic of Vietnam FB/FSB - Fire base/fire support base LZ - Landing zone MACV - Military Assistance Command Vietnam MAC-SOG - Military Assistance Command Special Operations Group NVA - North Vietnam Army RVN/South Vietnam - Republic of Vietnam DMZ - Demilitarized zone separated North and South USARV - United States Army Republic of Vietnam VC - Viet Cong - South Vietnamese sympathetic with government of North Vietnam (Charlie) MIA/KIA/WIA - Missing/killed/wounded in action POW - Prisoner of war CONUS - Continental United States DEROS - Date eligible for return from overseas FOB - Forward operating base ROK's - Republic of Korea army VNAF - Vietnam Air Force AO - Area of operations TDY - Temporary duty AFVN - Armed Forces Vietnam radio station PCS - Permanent change of station R&R - Rest and recuperation MAC/TAC/SAC - Military Airlift Command/Tactical Air Command/Strategic Air Command (Air Force) NDP - Night defensive position P38 - Can opener Corps - Military divisions of Vietnam (I, II, III, IV) I Corps - "Eye" corps Grunt - Infantry soldier Slick - Helicopter, Huey Spooky/Specter/Shadow - Air Force gunship Sapper - NVA demolition commandos Rolling Thunder - Air Force bombing operation, 1965-68 Number 1/10 - Vietnamese rating from best to worst Short Timer - Less than 100 days in country Boo-coo - From beaucoup (F), much or many Didi Mau - Vietnamese slang for "go quickly" Dinky Dau - To be crazy Mama/Papa San - Adult female/male Vietnamese Hooch - A building of no specific shape 33 beer - 3.3% alcohol beer in country
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). Defoliants in Vietnam Defoliants are chemicals that kill all vegetation. Earliest research on defoliants began during WWII. A University of Chicago botanist discovered that plant hormones could kill certain vegetation. The Army tested the plant hormones but found no use for them before the end of the war. Britain was the first to use a defoliant during military operations in Malaya in 1953 to thin jungle trails to limit ambushes. The decision to use defoliants in Vietnam was for the same purpose. The chemicals killed triple canopy jungle that hid the enemy, the elephant grass along river banks that allowed the enemy to get too close to the soldiers and sailors, and around bases to keep an open view for sentries. With the full support of the South Vietnamese government, spraying began in January 1962 by the Air Force and continued for nine years. The Air Force name for the project was Operation Ranch Hand. Over the nine years, 19,395,963 gallons of defoliant was sprayed in Vietnam. Operation Ranch Hand sprayed 8.2 million gallons of defoliant with the remainder being sprayed by Army helicopters, trucks, or back packs around military bases. Operation Ranch Hand spraying occurred all over South Vietnam, but the heaviest spraying was in III Corps. I Corps: 2,355,322 gallons II Corps: 1,065,406 gallons III Corps: 4,068,229 gallons IV Corps: 669,534 gallons Operation Ranch Hand spraying stopped in January 1971, but the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) continued to spray after that. Fifteen different defoliants were sprayed in Vietnam. Several were named after the colored stripe on the barrel – agents green, pink, purple, blue, white, and orange. They were known as the Rainbow Herbicides. More than 11 million gallons of Agent Orange, the most notorious of the Rainbow Herbicides, were sprayed. Several of the defoliants sprayed in Vietnam contained the chemicals 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. A manufacturing contaminant in 2,4,5-T is 2,3,7,8-T (dioxin), which is highly toxic to humans and animals. In 1983, 2,4,5-T was withdrawn from the market because of the dioxin contaminant and heightened public sensitivity about chemical hazards in the environment. The dioxin in the defoliants has been linked to many health issues in Vietnam veterans and their children. Any military personnel that had permanent duty status in Vietnam between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975 is presumed by law to have been exposed to dioxin and can receive compensation for their illnesses if linked to dioxin exposure. At present, eleven illnesses in Vietnam veterans and two illnesses in the children of women Vietnam veterans have been scientifically linked to the veteran's exposure to dioxin. Research continues by the VA through the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine to identify additional diseases that may be linked to dioxin exposure. The website for further information is www.va.gov/agentorange. President Ford renounced the use of defoliants in war except around base perimeters on April 8, 1975. The last Agent Orange was destroyed on September 3, 1977.
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). United States Air Force | United States Army | United States Coast Guard | United States Marine Corps | United States Navy DEDICATED TO ALL WHO SERVED 1959 - 1975 (A map of Vietnam showing the DMZ, I Corps, II Corps, III Corps, IV Corps, and key locations such as Hanoi, Danang, Cam Ranh Bay, Saigon, and Can Tho.) SOME GAVE ALL John Clifton Bonzo Died: Oct. 23, 1963 US Army David John Richtsteig MIA: Dec. 8, 1965 Remains Recovered: Sept. 30, 1974 US Marine Corps Randell L Dockstader Died: Nov. 7, 1968 US Army Wilbert Dwayne Kanosh Died: Jan. 30, 1969 US Marine Corps Marion C Robb Died: Sept. 11, 1969 US Army Curtis Boardman Died: May 20, 1970 US Army Kurtess Howard Walker Died: May 31, 1970 US Army Kennard King Kanosh Died: Sept. 14, 1970 US Army
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). Helicopter War Helicopters played an inconsequential role in WWII but the war did prove that the helicopter could perform useful missions. In Korea, helicopters were more numerous but still confined to support roles and medical evacuation. In November 1952, the function of helicopters in a combat zone was redefined and the first large helicopters, Sikorski H-19s, were introduced in Korea before the end of the war. The Vietnam War was the first real helicopter war with a new concept of "air mobility" during the early years of the war. Despite their vulnerability to ground fire, helicopters offered high mobility for troops and a tremendous element of surprise. The Army could move massive amounts of troops by air. Some operations involved more than 100 helicopters plus fixed-winged air support to drop bombs and fire rockets at enemy troops. Helicopters moved troops, supplies, wounded, and equipment such as artillery. The largest helicopter used in Vietnam, CH-54 Skycrane, could lift as much as a tank. To move large numbers of troops, the military used the Sea Knight or Chinook. Most medical evacuations used the Huey and the Jolly Green and Pedro were used for search and rescue. All helicopters could be armed with machine or mini-guns, rocket pods, grenade launchers, and guided missiles that could be used for close ground support of troops. Helicopter Types and Roles: UH-1 Huey: Single rotor, 4-man crew, personnel transport, medical evacuation. AH-1 Cobra: Single rotor, 2-man tandem crew, attack gunship for close ground support. CH-47 Chinook/CH-46 Sea Knight: Double tandem rotor, 4-man crew, medium lift, transport of troops and equipment in and out of battle, damaged aircraft recovery. CH-54 Skycrane: Single rotor, 3-man crew, heavy internal or external lifting, damaged aircraft recovery, troop delivery in "people pods." HH-43 Pedro: Twin side-by-side rotors, 3-man crew, aerial pickup of survivors, fire control, crash rescue with survivor removal, first aircraft equipped with hoist cable for jungle fire extraction. HH-3 Jolly Green: Single rotor, 4-man crew, combat search and rescue, heavy lifting, capable of airborne recovery. OH-6 Loach: Single rotor, 2-man crew, military scout, light observation, hunter/killer team with Cobra. CH-53 Sea Stallion: Single rotor, 4-man crew, heavy lifting of cargo and equipment, troop transport during amphibious operations.
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). The War and The Warrior Vietnam War 1964-1973, the longest war in US history Military advisors were in Vietnam starting in 1959 The war ended with a cease fire in March 1973 The US Embassy was evacuated along with remaining military personnel in April 1975 Vietnam veterans represent 9.7% of their generation Average age of soldier in Vietnam was 22 3,403,100 US military served in the Southeast Asia Theater, of that 2,594,000 served within the borders of South Vietnam 1965-1973 50,000 US military served in Vietnam 1960-64 1 to 1.6 million either fought in combat, provided close support, or were regularly exposed to enemy attack 7,484 women served in Vietnam — mostly nurses 1,728,344 total draftees 1965-73, of that 656,700 draftees served in Vietnam 6,140 National Guard served in Vietnam Peak troop strength of 542,482 was in April 1969 Average age of soldier killed in Vietnam was 22.8 47,378 hostile deaths; 10,800 non-hostile deaths 8 military women died in Vietnam, all nurses 304,000 wounded, 153,329 were hospitalized and 150,375 required no hospital care Thousands of soldiers treated for non-combat illnesses and combat stress were never counted 2,338 missing in action 766 (returned) prisoners of war Troops serving in Vietnam: 88% Caucasian/Hispanic, 11% African-American, 1% American Indian/Asian/Pacific Islander Troops died in Vietnam: 86% Caucasian/Hispanic, 13% African-American, 1% American Indian/Asian/Pacific Islander Most deaths occurred in 1968 — 16,592 Infantrymen averaged 240 days combat in one year 366 men from Utah died in Vietnam 97% honorably discharged Vietnam veterans' personal income is 18% higher than their non-veteran age group 76% of soldiers sent to Vietnam were from middle/working class backgrounds 79% of soldiers serving in Vietnam had at least a high school diploma In-country Vietnam veterans have a higher employment rate than the general US population Our allies were the governments of South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand Sources: US Statistics Only: National Archives, Department of Defense Casualty Records, Labor Department, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, National Personnel Records
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). Medical Care and Evacuation The first military medics arrived in Vietnam in April 1962 with the 8th Field Hospital and the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance). The first Helicopter Ambulance was the UH-1 "Huey." With the presence of early medical treatment during transport from the battlefield to the hospital, more lives were saved than during any previous war. When combat troops came to Vietnam and went to battle, medics went with them and medical treatment could be given within minutes of injury. With this early treatment and rapid evacuation, less than 1% of all Americans wounded, who survived the first 24 hours, died of their injuries. “Dustoff” became the official call sign for aeromedical evacuations in January 1964. To the injured, Dustoff meant life. From May 1962 through March 1973, air ambulances transported between 850,000 and 900,000 military personnel and Vietnamese civilians. The dangerous nature of their missions resulted in a high rate of air ambulance loss to hostile fire: 3.3 times that of other types of helicopter missions in the Vietnam War. Standard missions averaged an enemy attack every 311 trips. Hoist missions where the helicopter remained stationary for long periods of time averaged an enemy hit every 4.5 trips. The Army had 13 Medical Detachments Helicopter Ambulance and 3 Air Ambulance (AA) units. The Air Force had 4 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadrons (ARRS) which included fixed-wing medical evacuation but for the Marines every helicopter was used for medical evacuation if needed. Serving the wounded and ill were 25 Army hospitals, 10 Air Force hospitals, 2 Navy hospitals, and 2 Navy hospital ships that provided dispensaries. Among the 155,362 wounded requiring hospitalization, 96% returned to the US. The remaining 4% were treated for illnesses such as malaria, uncontrolled hepatitis, and snake bites. Hospitals were marked with red crosses painted on their roofs, but the red crosses sometimes became targets by the enemy. When medics with red crosses on their helmets arrived with troops on the battlefield, the medics and hospitals became favored targets by the enemy. (96% of wounded and medics cite firearms, not land mines as weapons that wounded them.) Many medics died performing their duties. 401 Army medics, 48 Navy Corpsmen, and 7 Air Force Pararescue were killed. Many others were seriously wounded during their war duties. The selfless actions of medics, corpsmen, and Air Force Pararescue personnel saved many lives and are credited with reducing combat deaths in Vietnam by 25%. US medics killed in action include 401 Army, 48 Navy Corpsmen, and 7 Air Force Pararescue. Some medics served with such distinction and selfless bravery, they earned the Medal of Honor, 15 Army, 3 Navy, 1 Air Force.
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). Donors to Vietnam Memorial ★★★★★ David O. Whitehead Family ★★★★ Cedar City Rotary Iron County Commission Cedar City RAP Tax Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation Cedar City – Brian Head Tourism Bureau ★★★ BPO Elks Lodge #1556 ★ Evan and Chris Vickers Prisbrey Construction Indian Peaks Band, Paiute Tribe of Utah Bryan Bulloch & Shauna Fay Families Jesse Taukolo Kolob Regional Care and Rehabilitation Danny Stratton Taxidermy Rocky Mountain Power Tibbetts Family Wells Fargo Foundation Danny Webster Family Clay Nelson Concrete Marion & Ruth Widick ★ VFW Post #1096 AMPAC/EWCO Darrell Bulloch Family Gordon Bulloch Family Mitchell Bulloch Family Neil Robinson Family Jeffrey Robinson Family Jared Robinson Family Robert and Betsy Rosenberg Robert Black AAS of Brooklyn SEPT 9, 2000
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA). VIETNAM MEMORIAL COMMITTEE Dedicated on September 6, 2008 Craig Thomson Chair Bryan Bulloch David O. Chung Cheryl German-Chung Glade Hamilton Bryant Jake Katherine Johnson Jesse Lacagnina Linda Milianta Keith Owen Mark Richtsteig Deborah Robb Betty Rosenberg Robert Smith SCULPTURE "Some Gave All" James Muir
Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War by James Muir Image: Photograph by Jacob B. Arnell. Licensed by Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).
  • James Muir
  • Cedar City War Memorial - Vietnam War, 2008
  • Bronze
  • 60 x 27 x 27 in
  • Inv: PA 2022-0018

Sculpture and accompanying monument.

  • Subject Matter: Vietnam War Memorial.
  • Current Location: Cedar City - City
  • Collections: Iron County Public Art, Monuments & Structures
  • Condition: Excellent

  • Artist: James Muir (American, b. 1945)