Milwaukee Rededicates Restored Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam War veterans in front of the newly restored Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Photo by Lauren Hafeman on Nov. 11, 2026.

At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 — Veterans Day — public officials, Milwaukee County War Memorial Center staff and an estimated 100 Vietnam veterans gathered to officially rededicate the newly restored Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park.

Led by Maj. Gen. Brian Winski, president and CEO of the War Memorial Center, the ceremony included speeches from Milwaukee County Executive and Gov.-elect David Crowley and Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Both Crowley and Johnson spoke to the value of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and expressed their gratitude to veterans in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin.

Crowley shared that his uncle served in the Army during the Vietnam War and died in service.

“His story reminds me that courage and commitment have the power to unite us today and every day,” he said. “I honor his memory and the memory of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom.”

Dale Scholl, president of Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Chapter One, gave an insightful speech about his time in Vietnam. He honored those he served with, remembered the sights and smells of war, articulated the history of the memorial and thanked every veteran for their sacrifices.

“Our average age when we went to Vietnam was 22 years old. When we meet somebody for the first time, we usually ask them, ‘Where did you grow up?’ Well, we grew up in Vietnam,” he said. “There were times when we laughed until we cried. Times when we wept when we saw a wounded or fallen brother or sister. Times when I was scared as hell and times when I felt invincible.”

First dedicated in 1991, the memorial features three red granite pillars representing Vietnam War service members killed in action, those who returned home and those who were prisoners of war or missing in action. The pillars are surrounded by nearly 3,000 memorial brick pavers, 11 inscribed granite posts representing each year of the Vietnam War and five granite benches symbolizing each branch of the military.

After 35 years of exposure to the elements, War Memorial Center leaders decided a restoration was needed to make it once again “a memorial worthy of their service.”

The restoration included excavating and resurfacing the memorial brick pavers and adding Wisconsin veteran-specific placards on the 11 granite posts. The restoration cost about $1 million, according to Winski.

Winski, who began his tenure as the War Memorial Center’s president and CEO in the spring of this year, told Urban Milwaukee, “The Vietnam veterans are about 80 years old now. I didn’t want another Veterans Day to pass without them seeing their monument restored and knowing it’s going to continue to stand tall for many years into the future.”

The restoration was a main component of the center’s Operation Advance: Preserving Our Future, a campaign to raise $14 million to establish a long-term preservation fund. Winski said about 80% of the fund has been raised.

Phase one of Operation Advance launched in 2022 to fund permanent installations and veterans programming at the War Memorial Center. The initiative entered a second phase in 2025, setting an $18 million fundraising goal as Milwaukee County began phasing out its financial support for the center in 2024. The county’s phased withdrawal stems from a 2013 agreement to end funding entirely by 2034.

The preservation fund will allow the center to operate independently, update displays and continue programming.

In 2025, the State of Wisconsin pledged a $5 million matching grant to the initiative.

Read more about Operation Advance from Urban Milwaukee.

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