Archives for March 2026

Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of Private First Class Jerald Riley Towater, a brave U.S. Marine who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1966 during the Vietnam War. He was just 21 years old.

A resident of Louisville, Kentucky, PFC Towater served with unwavering commitment as a Combat Engineer (MOS 1371) with C Company, 3rd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force. 

At the time of his death, PFC Towater was deployed in the Quang Nam Province of South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.

Though the beginning of his tour in Vietnam is not recorded, PFC Towater’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Marine who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

PFC Towater’s service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel 6E, Line 61, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about PFC Towater and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.

If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to PFC Towater or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

It’s the final chapter of KVVM Teaching Tuesdays!
Subject: Civics/Government.
Lesson: Civics & Community Engagement

Students will learn various ways citizens can engage in civic duties related to remembrance and public service, and then develop a plan for local community engagement related to veterans’ causes or historical preservation – plus more!

The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial (KVVM) in Frankfort recently received a significant upgrade courtesy of local business Polymershapes. The Winchester business designed, fabricated and installed brand-new lenses for the bollards at the Memorial at no cost. 

For the past 37 years, the Memorial has been illuminated by a ring of bollards, each topped with a light to honor the 1,110 Kentuckians whose names are etched in granite on the plaza. Over time, many of those lights had grown dim, and several lenses needed replacement. Though electrician Mark Wilson has worked tirelessly to repair them through the years, locating the proper replacement lenses became increasingly difficult.

The team at Polymershapes, made up of several veterans, volunteered to not only replace the lenses, but they also engraved the KVVM logo on one side of each lens, reinforcing the powerful image of a soldier respectfully saluting all who served in Vietnam. Each lens was precision-crafted from a single sheet of polycarbonate using a CAD cutter, heat-folded on three corners with one mitered corner that was heat-bonded rather than glued. This high-quality process ensures long-lasting durability and clarity for years to come.

“These generous efforts will help preserve and enhance the Memorial’s beauty and purpose for years to come,” said Jerry Cecil, member of the KVVM Board of Directors.  “We extend our sincere gratitude to the entire Polymershapes team for their craftsmanship, dedication and generosity.” 

These upgrades come just in time for National Vietnam War Veterans Day on Sunday, March 29, an annual observance honoring the 2.7 million U.S. service members who served in Vietnam and the families who supported them. In recognition of the day, KVVM will host an observance event on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m. The event is organized by the VFW Post 4075 Auxiliary. To learn more, contact Edna Taylor at 502-320-8255. 

A POW/MIA recognition will also be held in conjunction with the observance, hosted by Charging Forward for America. To learn more, contact Kelly Shehan at 859-619-8158. 
The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located at 365 Vernon Cooper Lane in Frankfort, and is open seven days a week with no reservation required. Learn more by visiting kyvietnammemorial.net.

Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of Master Sergeant Estevan Torres, a brave U.S. Army Soldier who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1968 during the Vietnam War. He was just 36 years old.

A resident of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, MSG Torres served with unwavering commitment as a Infantry Operations and Intelligence Specialist (MOS 11F4S) with Detachment B-56 (Project SIGMA), A Company, Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group, 5th Special Forces Group, United States Army Vietnam. 

At the time of his death, MSG Torres was deployed in Military Region 2 of South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.

Beginning his tour in Vietnam on Nov. 10, 1967, MSG Torres’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Soldier who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

MSG Torres’s service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel 45E, Line 61, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about MSG Torres and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.
If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to MSG Torres or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

KVVM Teaching Tuesdays continue!
Subject: English Language Arts
Lesson: Honoring Local Heroes

Students will research a Kentucky Vietnam veteran who is listed on the memorial (ideally from their own county or nearby) and present their findings clearly and respectfully to an audience – plus more!