40th Anniversary Of South Boston Vietnam Memorial Honored With Ceremony

BOSTON (CBS) — Boston held a ceremony on Sunday for the 40th anniversary of the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, which honors local soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.

After a memorial mass was held at St. Brigid Church in South Boston, a rededication ceremony took  place at the South Boston Vietnam Memorial in Medal of Honor Park.

The memorial, which was officially dedicated on September 13, 1981, was among the country's first formal monuments for Vietnam vets. Organizers say it predated the dedication of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

"It honors 25 men from South Boston who gave their lives during the war. South Boston suffered one of the highest losses of men killed in action in the country for a community of its size," organizers said.

Some Medal of Honor recipients, who are in Boston this week for their annual convention, spoke at the event.

Also, the families of the 25 men from South Boston who were killed in action during the war attended the event.

A rededication ceremony is held every September at the memorial.