The design of the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial continues to inspire awe among those who visit to honor Kentucky’s fallen Vietnam Veterans, and we are proud that this meaningful site draws visitors from across the country and beyond. In that spirit, we are pleased to welcome members of the North American Sundial Society (NASS) on Friday, June 26, from noon to 2 p.m. as part of the organization’s 31st Annual Conference.
During their visit, guests will explore the memorial’s design, theory, and construction, as well as its signature feature: the functioning sundial. Carefully engineered, the sundial is designed so that the tip of its shadow touches the name of each fallen Kentucky Vietnam veteran on the anniversary of that veteran’s death. The memorial was designed by the late architect Helm Roberts, who was honored with the 2003 Sawyer Dialing Prize from NASS in recognition of his work. Today, the memorial stands as a remarkable blend of design, mathematics, history, and honor, and continues to attract thousands of visitors each year.
The 31st annual conference of the North American Sundial Society will be held in Louisville from June 25 through June 28. The visit to the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is part of a broader itinerary highlighting several significant regional sundials, including those at Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a riverside installation on the banks of the Ohio River dedicated to General George Rogers Clark.
The timing of the group’s Frankfort visit is especially fitting, coming just days after the summer solstice on June 21, when the sun’s position produces the shortest shadows cast by the gnomon across the memorial plaza. As light shifts across the names etched in granite, it offers a quiet yet powerful reminder of the enduring nature of remembrance against the passage of time.
