Taken from The Story of a Memorial by Dennis Tribble:
Estacada is a small western Oregon town approximately 40 miles southeast of Portland. This rural community has a veteran's memorial that would befit any town or city in this nation. At the time the memorial was built, the founder had no direct knowledge of the VVAW motto: "Honor the Warrior – Not the War." However, through his vision, it has become a beautiful memorial for all veterans from Estacada and surrounding areas minus any war-related items. According to the founder, it would be "a simple yet elegant tribute to those who served."
Dennis Dahrens is a US Navy veteran who served from 1961 – 1966. He did not see action in Vietnam. Like so many others, his work was done in support of the US effort in the early years of the Vietnam conflict.
In our conversations, Dennis shared that his first assignment was to radar picket duty with the Airborne Early Warning Barrier Squadron Pacific, based on Midway Island.... Read More