New York Discount Car Rental and the New York Vietnam Memorial

New York City is home to numerous memorials and monuments designed to honor braze American and Big Apple citizens. One such monument is the New York Vietnam War Veterans Monument and Plaza located at 55 Water Street, in downtown Manhattan. This towering wall of remembrance was erected in 1985, ten years after the Vietnam Era, in honor of the brave men and women who served during the Southeastern Asia conflict. The Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Plaza on Water Street provides New York discount car rental travelers with a chance to honor not only the soldiers who lost their life in the jungle, but also a chance to celebrate the men and women who managed to make it home through adverse conditions.

Designed by the architectural team of William Fellows and Peter Wormser, under the guidance of Vietnam War Vet Joseph Ferrandino, the New York Vietnam War Memorial stands as a beacon of remembrance just next to the South Street Seaport, so please take the time to stop by and pay your respects during your upcoming New York discount car rental vacation. Informative news clippings, insightful poems and political statements line the memorial wall providing travelers with a revealing look into the hearts and souls of countless brave New Yorkers.

When the New York Vietnam War Veterans Memorial was first erected in 1985 millions of Big Apple natives and New York discount car rental vacationers came together to celebrate the greatly anticipated memorial presentation in what was formerly known as Jeanette Park. However, the in the following years the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Plaza has fallen into disrepair due to harsh weather conditions and insufficient maintenance funding. In 1998 a Memorial Committee was formed to address the Plazas decay, and plans were made for the complete restoration and renovation of the memorial grounds. Renovations to the grounds include:

• Seven new flagpoles
• A new ceremonial entrance at the Plazas eastern end
• A soothing water element/fountain to help mitigate surrounding noise pollution
• Updated lighting, railings and scenic landscaping
• Educational elements including a map and corresponding website

A brand new feature was also added to the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial cataloguing the 1,741 names of those New Yorkers who made the highest sacrifice in the service of their homeland. The Walk of Honor as it is called includes 12 pylons leading up to the original memorial wall. If you would like to make a donation to the Vietnam War Veteran Memorial upkeep effort please call the United War Veterans Council at 212-693-0446 for more details.

If you are interested in visiting the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial during your upcoming New York discount car rental vacation you are encouraged to visit the Memorials corresponding website, which is located at www.nyvietnamveteransmemorial.org for more information. This interactive site features background on both the memorial and the Walk of Honor, providing New York discount car rental travelers with informative photographs, interactive exhibits and tons of commemorative coverage of the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial unveiling in 1985. It is interesting to note that the Memorial also sparked the creation of a book entitled Dear America.

Published by the W. W. Norton Company Dear America is compiled entirely from the letters and poems that couldnt fit onto the New York Vietnam War Veterans Memorial wall. Over 205 written pieces were included in the book by 125 different writers. Dear America also spawned a major motion picture of the same name, staring the voices of New York City native Robert Deniro, as well as other actors like Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, Tom Berenger and Ellen Burstyn. Musical artists Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones also contributed music to the movie.