Former Defense Secretary James Mattis to dedicate new veterans memorial at The Museum of Flight



SEATTLE -- A special guest will help dedicate the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park at The Museum of Flight in Tukwila.

Gen. James Mattis, the 26th Secretary of Defense, will be the featured speaker during the dedication ceremony on May 25.

It's free to attend the dedication. Visiting the new memorial park will also be free to the public. That's very much by design.

The centerpiece of the park is a restored B-52 Bomber that flew in Operation Linebacker II in 1972.  The mission brought the Vietnamese government back to the negotiating table, leading to the release of 591 U.S. prisoners of war in 1973.

Local Vietnam veterans led the effort to restore the plane and create the new memorial. The effort is called  "Project Welcome Home."

Artist rendering of the nearly completed Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park at The Museum of Flight in Tukwila. The park will be dedicated May 25, 2019. It will be free to the public.



The park will also feature a tribute wall with the names of those who served during the Vietnam War. It's intended to be a place of reflection and remembrance for veterans and our community.

The community is invited to attend the dedication ceremony. It's happening at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Museum of Flight. It will include several speakers and aircraft fly-overs by VAQ-135 Growler Squadron Whidbey Island, the Cascade War Birds, a Huey and Cobra helicopter.

For more information, go to: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Dedication Ceremony