On Tuesday April 4, 2017, a group of about 90 sophomore students visited the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Holmdel.

The trip faced a great deal of complication, as the students were supposed to go on March 23, but with difficult weather and maintenance issues at the memorial, the students had to postpone the trip about a week later.

The sophomores were guided through the the memorial by veterans of the war. The trip gave students an in depth perspective into the Vietnam War, with their tour guides who have experienced the war firsthand.

Opened in 1995, the memorial has served as a place of remembrance and love to those who lost their lives in the 15 year war. All of those who are featured in the memorial were born in New Jersey  and died as a result of the war.

The memorial includes many symbols to remember those who served our country in Vietnam. These symbols include a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, which saw heavy use throughout the war. There is a statue commemorating all of the service dogs who were left behind. Additionally, the memorial itself is in the shape of a teardrop, signifying all of the tears shed over the war and all of the loss that americans faced.

“It was really interesting to see all the exhibits,” sophomore Aloka Nannayakkara said. “It really brought what I’m learning to life.”

Within the museum section of the memorial, there is a collection of letters between soldiers and their families. There is also a timeline which demonstrated what was happening at home while the war raged on abroad.

This trip was the first of three planned for the sophomores. The other two trips will take place after spring break.