A $75,000 Google data center community grant has advanced the Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s efforts to create a Memorial that remembers the past and educates the future. Groundbreaking for the Memorial is expected this spring near the SumTur Amphitheater, just south of 108th and Highway 370, in Papillion.
The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation (NVVMF) on January 26, 2022 announced receipt of the grant for the two acre statewide Memorial that honors the 396 Nebraskans Killed In Action (KIA) during the Vietnam era. The Memorial is scheduled to open on March 29, 2023, also known as Vietnam Veterans Day.
“We are pleased to have the support from Google’s local data center team for this Memorial, which will be a meaningful addition to the entire state. The Memorial is important to Veterans and all Nebraskans,” said Tom Brown, NVVMF President. Brown is a Marine Corps Veteran and a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Nebraska Chapter 279.
NVVMF was created in 2019 by a group of Vietnam Veterans who saw the need to create the Memorial honoring all Nebraskans killed in action (KIA) in the Vietnam War. It is estimated that by 2030, almost half of the Nebraska Vietnam War era Veterans living today will be deceased.
Google’s regional head of external affairs, Dan Harbeke, said the company’s grants support eligible organizations and initiatives in local communities. Google has called Nebraska home since 2019 when it officially broke ground on its data center in Papillion. To date, Google has awarded over $2 million to Nebraska schools and nonprofits.
“We are so happy to offer our support yet humbled by the opportunity,” Harbeke said. “It is an honor for us to commemorate those who served and to be a part of remembering their legacy.”
The Memorial includes an Honor Wall and a UH-1 Huey Helicopter flown in Vietnam. Throughout the Memorial eleven obelisks will create a historical journey through the events of the Vietnam era with QR codes that will allow visitors to learn about individual Veterans and their families by connecting visitors to an interactive website. The Memorial will also feature the United States Flagpole and flags representing the branches of the military, benches and greenspace for reflection and rest.