On a grassy knoll above the village of Angel Fire, New Mexico, is the first
tribute to the Veterans of the Vietnam War. Built on five acres belonging to
grieving parents of First Lt. Victor David Westphall III, who was killed in action on May 22, 1968. Victor and Jeanne Westphall spent three years building the chapel on the property they owned in Moreno Valley. This was fifteen years before Angel Fire would be organized. The father, a contractor, lived in a trailer on-site during construction. He later built a small apartment near the chapel. The couple spent the last thirty years of their
lives working on the memorial, which I think is much more impressive than
the one built in Washington, D.C. The memorial in Angel Fire now has
twenty-five acres to stroll its gardens, admiring bronze statues and artwork
or see the Viking Surprise. A small amphitheater and chapel are open 24/7
for meditation. The parents are buried on the property, their son at the
Santa Fe Military Cemetery. At the time of the memorial dedication May 22,
1971, many considered the memorial to be an anti-war protest. The father
said at the time “a gift to mankind with no strings attached, but I don’t know
what man will do with it.” In 2005, the state of New Mexico took over and
named it Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park.