Governor Rell Dedicates Vietnam Women’s

Memorial Replica at State Capitol

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today unveiled a replica of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., to be kept on permanent display in the Veterans Alcove of the State Capitol complex.

            The three-dimensional sculpture – or maquette – is an exact replica of the original 6-foot, 8-inch, 2,000-pound statue that is located on the Mall in Washington about 300 feet from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial was dedicated on Veteran’s Day 1993 and was the first memorial in the nation’s capital dedicated to the military service of women.

The Vietnam Women's Memorial Replica.

            “May is month in which we honor our mothers and recall the sacrifice and service of our veterans, making this an especially fitting month to recognize the profound service of women in the military,” said Governor Rell. “Since the birth of our nation, women have contributed greatly to the defense and interests of this country. This statue captures that sacrifice and reminds us of the tremendous contributions of women past and present.”

            The sculpture depicts four figures: a nurse holding a wounded male soldier; a woman looking skyward as if in anticipation of a rescue helicopter; and another on her knees holding a helmet and looking at the ground in despair. While all the figures are wearing fatigues, sculptor Glenna Goodacre deliberately included no identifying insignia, to symbolically include all the women – military, medical and even civilian volunteers – who served in Vietnam.

            “When the veterans see it, they can say, ‘That was me,’” commented Goodacre to a reporter from the Washington Post in an interview just weeks before the formal dedication. “They can see themselves in any of the three women.”

            An estimated 265,500 American women served in various roles around the world during the Vietnam War, with approximately 11,500 serving in country. Today, women comprise nearly 15 percent of the nation’s active duty Armed Forces and nearly 25 percent of all Reserve Forces.

            State Representative Marie Kirkley-Bey (D-5) assisted the Governor’s Office in securing the maquette from sculptor Goodacre. The maquette will remain on display in the Veterans Alcove, which is located in the underground concourse that connects the Capitol to the Legislative Office Building.