Missouri post dedicates Vietnam War mural

In honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29, members of American Legion Post 323 in Wentzville, Mo., are remembering their dedication of a 12-by-18 Vietnam War mural honoring all who served during the war. The mural was dedicated May 24, 2022.

Over 500 riders, who were traveling through Wentzville en route to the annual Run for the Wall in Washington, D.C., attended the dedication of the mural that’s located near the nation’s first Vietnam Veterans Memorial in downtown Wentzville. The Vietnam War mural hangs on an exterior wall of an auto store, a space that was kindly donated by the local George Ehll family, and faces the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

“Wentzville takes great pride in being home to the first Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the United States,” said Post 323 member Paul Deschamp. “It consists of a single-column of red Missouri granite, topped by the carved figure of an eagle and bears the inscription, ‘Whither thou goest, I will go.’ Ruth 1:16. The new mural enhances the overall experience of the site, and Wentzville welcomes all visitors who stop by to honor and remember those who have served.” 

The idea for the mural was initiated a few years ago when the Wentzville Arts Council and the Wentzville Community Historical Society wanted to beautify downtown with murals. Deschamp, a Vietnam veteran who served in the 1st Cavalry Division (airmobile), was asked to come up with an idea for the mural. The mural is that of a soldier guiding a Huey helicopter into landing and the cockpit is illuminated at night. The soldier and Huey are metal cutouts to make the mural a silhouette art piece, and the inscription by them reads “In honor of all who served in Vietnam.”