On Sun., 6/5, at 3 p.m., the public is invited to join City officials and members of the Richard F. Howland Chapter of the National Guard Field Artillery Veterans Organization at the National Guard Square in New Bedford (where North St. and Rte. 6 intersect, across from Buttonwood Park) for the dedication of a memorial bench in honor of the members of the Army National Guard’s 1st Batallion 211th Field Artillery—the only such unit in the state to be mobilized during the Vietnam War.
The unit was mobilized on May 13, 1968 as the United States was ramping up for the buildup of troops in South Vietnam. More than 580 soldiers from the New Bedford area left New Bedford bound for Ft. Benning, Georgia to serve 24 months of active duty. Subsequently, 55% of those soldiers were called to various Army units in Vietnam.
Following the dedication ceremony, light refreshments will be available at the Fort Taber Military Museum located at 1001C Rodney French Blvd. in the south end.
Click to download the 6/2/16 issue in its entirety: 06-02-16 MemDay
