There have been dozens of articles over the past few years regarding the fact that the state of Rhode Island, after more than five decades since the end of America’s involvement in Vietnam, still has no fitting memorial to the American youth, sent by the planeload, to SE Asia to be killed. Still no appropriate memorial in Providence’s Memorial Park area. No long-overdue recognition for the thousands of Rhode Islanders and their families who served while 209 died. Still to this day there are thousands of families affected by that decades-long undeclared war. The chance of seeing this resolved while any of us who served in that war are still alive is not just waning, it’s disappearing.

Outgoing Governor McKee held a last minute, scrambled-together press conference on Sept. 1 announcing an alleged location for this alleged memorial. A design or budget yet to be committed to, much less disclosed. For some, the give away key point at the ceremony to scrounge up a few votes in an attempt to salvage a failed administration, was given away in the opening remarks by Mr. DeCastro from Rep. Azzinaro’s office in the opening sentence. He announced that they “hope” this will be the location (God only knows when) for a memorial (God only knows what) to the RI Vietnam War. And, they wasted no time to prove their commitment by getting the site identified on the Online Providence City Map just days before. Gov. McKee stood there and called it his war.

I have been at this since the early 1980s when the first bills were made into law. I remember sitting in Mayor Joe Paolino’s office (Buddy’s before that) hearing them both use those exact same words: their war. Some in the RI State government say “trust us.” There is a process. It involves a complex chain of events involving engineers, architects, permits, and on and on. But with no tangible roadmap provided with legislative deadlines, enactment timeframes with penalties imposed. No “Hammer Provisions” with tangible downsides for state officials who drag their feet. Only sunset clauses that allow every “effort” so far to die on the house floor with lessening public concern over time to see this through.

I was pondering how to approach this op-ed. Jimmy DeCastro’s use of the verb “hope” kept coming to mind. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Mr. DeCastro’s and Rep. Sam Azzinaro’s efforts. As Sam was quoted in RI Monthly last December, his hands are tied.
As I was contemplating just how to include this quote, Denzel Washington came on my TV in the role of Roman J. Israel Esq., in a movie by the same name and he blurts out: “Hope don’t get the job done!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Attempts at communicating with the nominees from both parties for the positions of Governor and Lt. Governor go unanswered. Asking them to specifically address how they plan to pick up McKee’s “banner” (and I use the term loosely) to get this memorial complete before the last RI Vietnam Veteran is 6 feet in the ground or in an urn on someone’s shelf somewhere are ignored. I have also attempted to contact the leadership of the RI VVA, said to be collecting donations. No replies.

Ask every person running for any office just how they plan to finally push this stalled issue over the finish line. I have grandchildren. I’d like to visit this memorial with them some day while I still can.

Thomas F. Morrissey of Lincoln served as a helicopter pilot in the Republic of Vietnam between April 1970 and April 1971 with the 117th Assault Helicopter Company (Warlords).