Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial is a curved black granite wall in the south end of Hoyt Arboretum that lists the names of every Oregon resident who died in the Vietnam War or is missing in action. It was dedicated in 1987 and is free to visit from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The entrance is at 4000 SW Canyon Road, a few hundred yards from the Washington Park MAX station.

The Memorial

Oregon veterans began planning a memorial after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 1982. Volunteers raised the money through the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial Fund, and the Oregon memorial was dedicated in 1987, according to Portland Parks & Recreation. It was designed by Walker Macy, a Portland landscape architecture firm.

The curved black granite wall carries the names of all the Oregonians who died or went missing in Vietnam. It also sets out, year by year, three years of the war alongside what was happening at home in Oregon at the same time.

The Garden of Solace

The memorial is laid out as a place to sit and think. A bosque of pear trees at the entrance stands for life, and water in the Garden of Solace for life, purity and hope, according to the city.

Its Place in the Arboretum

The memorial was built in the 1980s on 11 acres of arboretum land. Hoyt Arboretum Friends says that project led directly to the founding of the Friends group in 1986, which now runs the arboretum's Visitor Center in partnership with the city.

Getting There

• MAX: ride the Red or Blue Line to Washington Park station. The memorial and the arboretum's southern trails are a few hundred yards from the elevators.
• Free shuttle: the Washington Park Free Shuttle stops at the memorial on both its northbound and southbound runs.
• Car: there is a pay lot by the memorial, $2.52 an hour from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. See parking.

Walks From the Memorial

• The Wildwood Trail starts here. From the memorial parking lot, head west across SW Knights Blvd; the trailhead is marked with a carved wooden sign. See Wildwood Trail.
• The 2-hour loop: Hoyt Arboretum Friends recommends a side trip to the memorial on its 1.25-mile south-side loop. See hiking and suggested loops.

Visiting Respectfully

It is a memorial with names on it. Keep voices low near the wall and dogs on a leash, as everywhere in the park.