(Editor’s note: the following letter from a native of Vietnam, now a Gwinnett businessman, was initially sent to the Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Board.—eeb).
By Tim Le
DULUTH, Ga. | It has been several years since I asked Gwinnett County Park and Recreation for the opportunity to build a Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I know that there was a reservation from Gwinnett County in providing public land for statues because of a certain lawsuit at the national level. I still don’t understand the details of that lawsuit and how it is affecting Gwinnett County.
Le
Today, I read in the GwinnettForum about the two founding members of Snellville and the dedicating of two bronze statues of Tom Snell and James Sawyer on public land. I don’t see the difference between commemorating the two founders of the City of Snellville and the many soldiers that sacrificed their lives so that we all can enjoy the freedom that we have today.
In addition, I visited the recently built Vietnam War Memorial in the city of Morrow. This monument stands right in front of the City Hall building. In addition, the city of Dunwoody had committed to allow the construction of another Vietnam War Memorial in their city. Dunwoody has a very small Vietnamese population; however, the city is open to the idea and has already approved for this project.
There are 80,000 plus Vietnamese living in Georgia. Estimates are that there are 25,000 people from Vietnam living in Gwinnett County, which has the largest Vietnamese population in the state. We bought into the “Live, Work and Play” and “Gwinnett is Great” slogans. The number of Vietnamese businesses in Georgia and especially in Gwinnett County are significant. Most residents are homeowners and contributed significantly to the Gwinnett County tax base.
I ask that you and Gwinnett County reconsider in allocating public park land for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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