Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A compromise plan is in the works for the Veterans Memorial Park controversy.

The city is trying to settle the dispute over whether the South Vietnamese community can put up a memorial honoring both Vietnamese and American soldiers.

The new plan is for the South Vietnamese to put their memorial up on a piece of land next to Veterans Park.

But it's a compromise many veterans still say they can't deal with.

Veterans groups say 90 percent of their members oppose putting the memorial anywhere near the veterans park.

Those are feelings they expressed Tuesday to city council members.

"The American veteran has no words to express their moral outrage," said veterans supporter Linda Kirby.

Veterans say this park should only be for those who served in the United States military.

"We have here today two members of the Iraq War. This park is meant to honor people like this. People who have served the United States," said veteran John Wilson.

"The Vietnamese military did not fight for America they fought for Vietnam. They did not fight for us we fought and died for them," said Kirby.

The council first heard this memorial debate in June. It delayed a decision and gave both groups one month to come up with a compromise. Those negotiations went nowhere.

On Wednesday they will meet with the city about a proposal to dedicate the park for American military members only, create an advisory board for park issues and put the proposed Vietnamese memorial on city land next to the park.

Veterans say that's not enough because the memorial will still look like it's part of the park.

"That's just foolishness. They would accomplish everything they were trying to do in the first place," said Wilson.

Members of the South Vietnamese community want to wait and comment until after Wednesday's meeting.

The council will vote on all this next week.