 |
 |
Contemplation Garden
The Contemplation Garden is the second of the six memorial gardens to be constructed on the museum site. It contains several key attractions, including a Vietnam-era Huey mounted almost 20 feet in the air, a special set of OH-23 rotor blades with dedication plaques, a flag pole, a covered bench and the only replica of the Camp Holloway Memorial Wall that was located on the post in Pleiku, South Vietnam. The Board of Directors of the National Vietnam War Museum
offered space in the garden for this special memorial. It was built by members of the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion who served at the camp, assisted by their friends and family.
The original wall that stood near the Headquarters in Camp Holloway, was destroyed. For the members of the 52nd CAB who served at Camp Holloway, the "wall" was sacred and represented fellow soldiers and friends that gave their lives in the line of duty.
The wall was estimated to cost from $40,000 to $60,000 and fundraising is still ongoing to maintain the monument. More information about the organization and the monument is available on the organizations' website: http://52dcab.org. The wall was dedicated with a ceremony on November 8, 2008, at the same time as the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the garden.
Contributions for the memorial wall are being sought by the 52nd CAB and can be made using the museum Gift Shop Order Form or they may be mailed to the museum at the address on the Contact Page. Please include a notation that the contribution is for the Camp Holloway Memorial Wall.
Please contact either Vern Gano at ganoshome@sbcglobal.net or Gerry Sandlin at gerrysandlin189@hughes.net for more information about the Camp Holloway Memorial Wall project.
The Contemplation Garden was constructed by a team of veterans and friends of the museum using donated funds, materials and equipment. It is filled with plants and trees selected and planted according to the design prepared by members of the Weatherford Master Gardeners. A trail of crushed granite allows visitors access to the memorial wall and other features of the garden. Donations are still needed for operation and long-term maintenance of the garden and may be made using through the museum Gift Shop or mailed to the address on the Contact Page.
