Panels of dog tags honoring the 3,414 Texans who fought and died in the Vietnam War are now on display at the Texas Surf Museum, 309A N. Water St. in Corpus Christi. A ribbon cutting ceremony and reading of the names will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, November 11, Veterans Day. Courtesy photo
A memorial to honor Texas veterans who died in the Vietnam War recently opened at the Texas Surf Museum, just in time for Veterans Day on November 11.
“It’s a stunning and moving exhibit,” said Texas Surf Museum Executive Director Emily Veazey. “It’s overwhelming.”
The exhibit consists of panels of dog tags, one for each of the 3,414 Texans who fought and died in the Vietnam conflict. A ribbon cutting is planned for 11 a.m. Monday, November 11. Afterward, museum board members, staff, and volunteers will read the names of each veteran honored on the wall.
“This memorial is bigger than our organization, bigger than our city,” Veazey said. “It is our hope that citizens from every corner of our state visit our museum to see this display in person. We pray that small gesture brings honor and comfort to their families.”
“Waves of Honor” was inspired by a popular traveling exhibit that opened at the Texas Surf Museum in June. “China Beach: Surfing through the Vietnam War” is scheduled to be on display at the museum for about a year.
“Waves of Honor” will be on display at least until “China Beach” closes but might stay on indefinitely, Veazey said.
“We are so proud of this for so many reasons,” Veazey told 101CorpusChristi.com. “There is no other memorial honoring Texans who died in Vietnam.”
Museum admission is free, but donations to help with the cost of installing the new exhibit are appreciated and can be made at the Go Fund Me page, Texas Surf Museum’s “Wave of Honor” Wall.
The only surf museum in the state, the Texas Surf Museum is located at 309A N. Water St. in Corpus Christi. It is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Call 361-882-2364 for information or visit texassurfmuseum.org.
