Vietnam Veterans Memorial restored along Chicago Riverwalk

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Remembers Vietnam Veterans Memorial along the Chicago River has been restored, after years of neglect allowed the names of many veterans inscribed on the wall to fade.

The renovated plaza was unveiled on Friday at a ceremony featuring moments of both sadness and pure pride.

The memorial is a tribute to all Armed Forces veterans who served in the Vietnam War, and features the names of all 2,936 Illinoisans who were killed in the conflict.

First dedicated along the Chicago Riverwalk in 2005, it is modeled after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Several names on the wall in Chicago had faded in recent years.

The newly restored memorial was unveiled on the 41st anniversary of the day the last combat troops left Vietnam, and the last U.S. prisoners of war in North Vietnam returned to the U.S.

"This day is to honor those who answered the nation's call. More than 58,000 military members lost their lives. Their names are memorialized on our nation's capital grounds; 2,936 are from Illinois, and etched on Chicago Rembers Vietnam War Memorial," said Kevin Barszcz, director of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs.