About the Figures

The five figures atop the monument, situated in the rubble of an ancient temple, represent the common “Dawn Patrol” experience of the infantry in Vietnam.  The five combat figures are 1.25 X life-sized, making the standing soldier seven-feet tall on the 14-foot high monument.  Though most American infantry forces were Army and Marines, the Air Force SOG and Navy SEAL special-forces troops also served as ground war fighters.

Representing the core fighting unit of the Vietnam War, the figures have been deliberately crafted to capture the ethnic diversity of the Texans of Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, Native-American and Asian-American descent who served in the Vietnam War.  The figures are deliberately void of military markings: these are soldiers united not by the threads of uniform but by the bond of battle.  They are poised in a defensive perimeter position, with their backs toward each other as the medic attends to a wounded comrade.

The figures sculpture captures a moment just after battle, as the war-weary combatants regroup in wait for the incoming helicopter that will carry them back to the base camp.  Underneath, as if symbolically holding them up for eternity, stand the panels representing their fellow Texans, those who served at sea, in the air, on the ground and in the hospitals, always ready to answer their call.  Interred beneath, watched over in eternal vigilance, are the dog tags of their fallen brothers, the 3,417 Texas servicemen who did not return alive.
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About the Panels

The portrayal of combat troops of Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, Native-American and Asian-American heritages makes the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument the first on the Capitol grounds to illustrate the heterogeneity of Texas culture and American military service. It will also be the first Texas Capitol monument equipped with digital technology allowing visitors to use mobile devices to access an educational digital “Living Monument” where they can learn about both the monument’s symbols and the experiences of Texans affected by the war. The “Living Monument” invites veterans, family members, and civilians affected by the war to easily contribute photographs and text to share their stories, which are coded to an interactive map of Texas that illustrates the shared sacrifices of people across the state.

“I chose to depict the various main branches of service deployed in the Vietnam War in the art form of bas-relief panels that surround the base of the monument. This has been a very successful way to elaborate on the history of that war and to recognize those soldiers who were performing their duties in their specific fields, and the equipment and vehicles they operated at that time.” – Artist Duke Sundt

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Video Overview

Monument Overview

An Introduction to the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument

The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument honors the men and women of Texas who served with courage and dignity in the Armed Forces of the United States of America during the Vietnam War. Entombed inside are the names of 3,417 Texans who gave their lives so that others might be free. The monument was presented to the People of Texas by the Texas by the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Committee March 29, 2014.

A Welcome from Robert Floyd

Robert Floyd

Chairman, Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument

Robert Floyd served in the Army in Vietnam and chaired the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Committee, the organization that built the monument. He explains the origins of the monument and what he hopes you will find here.

Additional Veterans Stories

Learn More About the 3417 Project

The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument stands as a permanent honor to all Texans who served in the Vietnam War – and as a permanent memorial to the 3,417 Texans who never came home.  This memorial is made through The 3417 Project, which individually honors each Texan who died in the Vietnam War.

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