Southern Oregon Veterans Benefits has Helped Hundreds of Veterans in Need and Brought the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Southern Oregon.
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The wall is reaching out to classroom of kids and two teachers
Logos school at the wall.
There is still time to become a permanent part of the Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit Memorial Wall.
For a limited time, engraved bricks are still available in the Memorial Plaza surrounding the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Medford. Whether you wish to honor a veteran, remember a loved one, recognize active military service, or show your support for those who served, a personalized brick creates a lasting tribute for generations to come.
Located at the base of the Wall, each engraved brick helps preserve the legacy of our nation’s heroes while supporting the ongoing mission of the Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit organization.
Availability is limited, and remaining spaces in the plaza are filling quickly. Reserve your commemorative brick today and leave a lasting message of honor, remembrance, and gratitude.
Center view of memorial wall.
West wall view of panels
East wall view of panels
The Wall is up! We have some tidying up to do, but we’re so excited to share this with you!
“Operation: Final Step” is a presentation geared toward raising sufficient funds to prepare the future site and install the permanent Vietnam Memorial Wall at Lithia – Driveway Park in Medford, Oregon. This presentation outlines the project’s objectives, including creating a time capsule near the wall to hold unit patches from veterans who wish to be remembered. The initiative calls for donations of unit, organizational, or rocker patches, with a suggested contribution of $5 for each patch.
The memorial wall, a replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C., has been purchased and stored at a local contractor’s headquarters. The wall spans 8 feet at the center, tapering to 2 feet on each chevron, totaling 360 feet. All 58,479 names on the wall will be displayed, aligned in the same order as the original memorial in Washington, D.C. The project also includes a kiosk system for locating names, a buried Purple Heart at the base of the wall, and a time capsule on the property.
The presentation introduces a local chapter of the Military Order of Purple Heart (MOPH) that donated a purple heart to be placed at the base of the memorial wall and provided the time capsule. The initiative offers recognition opportunities for corporations, individuals, and businesses contributing significantly to the project. There is also a section for purchased plaques to honor donors and the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
The organization behind the project is a licensed 501(c)(3) entity in Oregon with a solid reputation and an A+ rating from the Oregon Department of Justice. They have secured a lease agreement with the City of Medford for the memorial wall’s placement and have established operational guidelines. The presentation mentions that insurance is in place, and contractors, architects, and engineers are ready to proceed with a timeline, budget, and renderings.
The presentation concludes by emphasizing the personal significance of each name on the memorial wall, reflecting the sacrifices made by veterans. It notes that the names are listed chronologically by date of casualty, highlighting the presence of eight nurses’ names next to their fallen brothers on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Contact information and further details about the project are provided for those interested in getting involved or learning more.
Organizers launch ‘Operation: Final Step,’ aimed at urging veterans to give $5 each
A local effort launched in 2015 to erect a $1 million replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Medford is halfway to fruition.
Organizers launch ‘Operation: Final Step,’ aimed at urging veterans to give $5 each
A local effort launched in 2015 to erect a $1 million replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Medford is halfway to fruition.
Organizers of the project are hoping to finish fundraising so the wall — 80% of the size of the original — can be dedicated within the next year.
Spearheaded by a group called Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit, the 493-foot structure is planned for Lithia & Driveway Fields, formerly US Cellular Community Park, adjacent to Bear Creek and the Jefferson Nature Center.
Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit President Ron Kohl said the project was long overdue and would be an important tribute to the men and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.
Originally planned for a 2016 Veterans Day groundbreaking, the project has experienced delays ranging from difficulty securing a home for the wall to a slowdown in donations during the pandemic.
The project was first announced in 2015, and organizers came to an agreement for a long-term lease for a dollar per year with the City of Medford.
A benefit concert that same year by country music singer Kenny Rogers raised over $65,000 toward the project, with another $250,000 awarded under House Bill 5006 and some $200,000 in donations.
Purchase of the wall — currently being stored by a local contractor — cost $290,000.
Kohl estimated another $550,000 is needed, including in-kind donations materials and labor.
“We’ve got the location. We’ve got a contract with the City of Medford. We are preparing the land to go ahead and receive the wall as soon as we finish fundraising,” he said.
“We have a contractor, an architect, an electrician and an engineer. Everyone is on standby. We just need money in the bank so that, when somebody works, we can pay them.”
Kohl started a campaign recently called “Operation: Final Step” to help close the funding gap. If each of the roughly 90,000 veterans in Jackson and Josephine counties contributed $5 each, the project could be fully funded, he said.
“If we could get a simple $5 donation from every veteran in Jackson and Josephine counties, it would be absolutely marvelous,” Kohl said.
Kohl said Southern Oregon Subaru recently donated $500, and he hoped other local dealerships and businesses would consider matching the donation.
“We’re issuing a challenge to all our local dealerships and other businesses, saying, ‘If you just put in five bucks for every vet you have working for you, in honor of them and their service to our country, it would get us a lot closer than we are now,’” he said.
“Donations of $500 or more will be listed on our donor plaques at the site,” he said.
Kohl invited veterans who send in a $5 donation to include a service patch with their name — or that of a loved one who served during Vietnam — written on the back.
A time capsule will be buried at the site containing memorabilia, patches and a Purple Heart medal.
“This project is about honoring our Vietnam vets, especially the 58,479 who are being honored with their name on the wall because they gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Kohl.
Once complete, the wall would be the largest memorial for Vietnam veterans west of the Mississippi River, Kohl said. A plaque honoring the 132 veterans from the seven southernmost counties in Oregon will be placed adjacent to the main wall.
“We have been continuously doing something on this, all the way through, since 2015. Sometimes it’s $40 here, $5 there, but it has been ongoing,” he said.
“It’s really important that we recognize the sacrifice of these men and women. This will be a very special place for Southern Oregon … and it’s time to get it finished.”
For more info, or to donate, see sovbmemorialwall.com/operation-final-step/
Checks, made out to SOVB, can be mailed to P.O. BOX 1013, Medford OR 97501.
Reach freelance writer Buffy Pollock at buffyp76@yahoo.com.
