Angel Fire Memorial Brick Laying Ceremony

Brick-Laying Ceremony at the Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans Memorial, August 30th

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire invites the community to join us for a special Brick-Laying Ceremony on August 30th. This annual event honors our Veterans and provides an opportunity for friends, families, and supporters to participate in preserving their legacy.

Time: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Join us in this heartfelt occasion as we lay engraved bricks that will become a permanent part of the memorial’s pathways, symbolizing gratitude and remembrance. The ceremony will feature remarks from community leaders and veterans, patriotic music, and moments of reflection.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire was built by Albuquerque residents Victor and Jeanne Westphall in 1971 as a memorial to their son, Marine 1st Lt. David Westphall. 28-year-old David was one of sixteen Marines from Bravo Company/Third Division killed in an ambush by North Vietnamese forces near the North/South Vietnam border on May 22, 1968.

The monument was dedicated on the third anniversary of his death in 1971, and the all-volunteer David Westphall Foundation was created to manage the facility. In 2005, the Foundation donated the memorial to the State Parks Division. In 2017, management of the Memorial was transferred to the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services.