Rhode Island Vietnam veterans have waited more than 40 years for a statewide memorial in their capital city. On Sept. 1, 2026, they finally got a spot: a grassy, state-owned parcel on the Providence River beside 146 Dyer St., where Gov. Dan McKee and veterans leaders gathered to announce the future home of the monument.
The memorial will honor the roughly 21,000 Rhode Islanders who served in the Vietnam War and the 209 who never came home and the many who have died since. Here is the full story of who they were, why the memorial took so long, and what happens next.
In This Story
Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans at a Glance
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Islanders who served in the Vietnam War | About 21,000 | RI House Resolution H 6162 (2021) |
| Rhode Island fatal casualties | 209 | National Archives, via Rhode Island Current |
| Vietnam era veterans living in Rhode Island (2023 estimate) | 17,790 | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, via Rhode Island Monthly |
| Proposed memorial site | State land on the Providence River beside 146 Dyer St. | Rhode Island Current |
| Site announced | Aug. 19, 2026; public event Sept. 1, 2026 | Rhode Island Current |
| State observance | March 29, Vietnam Veterans Day (R.I. Gen. Laws § 25-2-20) | Rhode Island General Assembly |
How Many Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans Served?
A 2021 resolution from the Rhode Island House of Representatives puts the number at approximately 21,000 members of the Armed Forces from Rhode Island who served during the war. Read House Resolution H 6162.
For the smallest state in the nation, that is a staggering commitment. Rhode Island Vietnam veterans came from every city and town, from Woonsocket mill neighborhoods to Westerly, from Providence to Newport’s Navy families.
Many still live here. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 17,790 Vietnam era veterans lived in Rhode Island in 2023, according to Rhode Island Monthly. State Veterans Services Director Kasim J. Yarn said at the September event that Vietnam veterans remain the state’s largest veteran population.
The 209 Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans on The Wall
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., known simply as The Wall, carries the names of service members who died as a result of their service. The names are listed by date of casualty, so each one sits beside the men who fell that same day.
The National Archives lists 209 fatal casualties with Rhode Island as their home state of record, as Rhode Island Current reported. Every one of them had a street, a parish, a high school and a family waiting on them.
A reading that started at 2:09
When the American Veteran Traveling Tribute brought its replica wall to Rocky Point State Park in Warwick on Sept. 8 to 10, 2023, organizers read all 209 Rhode Island names aloud each afternoon. Each reading began at 2:09 p.m. See the event listing.
The replica is an 80 percent scale copy of the memorial in Washington, stretching 360 feet. Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, the Gaspee Days Committee, RI State Parks, the RI 250th Commission and the City of Warwick hosted the visit.
Retired Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Francis X. Flaherty, himself a Vietnam veteran, gave the keynote. He reminded the crowd that Vietnam veterans were the youngest of any American war, with an average age of 19, as Warwick Beacon coverage reported.
Four Decades of Failed Memorial Efforts
Rhode Island Vietnam veterans did not lack for promises. They lacked a result. Rep. Sam Azzinaro, D-Westerly, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the state’s Vietnam Memorial Commission, walked the September crowd through the history.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1983 | A proposed memorial on the State House grounds failed |
| 1985 | A Vietnam memorial was installed at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, the only success |
| 1986 | Another attempt failed |
| 1988 | A bill to put $5,000 toward a memorial at Waterplace Park failed; it was revived in 2016 with no result |
| 2021 | Azzinaro introduced a resolution creating a study commission |
| 2022 | The legislature approved the commission; the House later extended its work through April 2028 |
| 2026 | The Providence River site was announced on Aug. 19 and presented publicly on Sept. 1 |
As recently as November 2025, Azzinaro told Rhode Island Monthly he had no site, no funding and no cost estimate. Memorial Park, home to the city’s World War I, World War II and Korean War monuments, was not an option.
Why the Providence River Site Matters
The chosen parcel is state land on the water, with parking and street access nearby. It sits close to the 195 District Park and the pedestrian bridge, according to Rhode Island Current.
It also lands on a walking path that already connects three other memorials: the Rhode Island IX Memorial to the nine Rhode Island Marines killed in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, the Remembrance Garden of Greater Providence and the Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial.
Before settling on the site, Azzinaro said he consulted the governor’s office, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission and Rhode Island Energy.
What Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans Said at the Site
Ernie Boisvert, 80, of Woonsocket, is president of the Rhode Island State Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He told the crowd he was drafted, and that he once avoided wearing his uniform in public because veterans were not appreciated for their service.
His message was urgency. Boisvert asked everyone present to help get the monument built quickly, noting his own age. September 2026 also marked 60 years since he left for Vietnam.
McKee said he had friends who served and friends who did not come back. “We see you, we honor you, and we will never forget you,” the governor said.
How the Memorial Will Be Paid For
The money is still coming together. McKee said he plans to include funding for the memorial’s design in his next state budget proposal, according to Rhode Island Current.
Construction will lean on private donations. The Vietnam Veterans of America State Council of Rhode Island has already opened a charitable account for gifts. You can follow progress and support the effort through our donate page.
How Rhode Island Honors Its Vietnam Veterans Today
Rhode Island Vietnam veterans are recognized in several ways while the capital memorial is built.
A state day of remembrance
In 2017 the General Assembly passed Rhode Island General Law § 25-2-20, setting aside March 29 each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. Read our guide to National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Local memorials
Towns across the state already have their own Vietnam memorials, including Smithfield, Lincoln, Cranston and North Scituate, plus the state memorial at the veterans cemetery in Exeter.
Benefits that recognize the cost
Rhode Island Vietnam veterans exposed to herbicides may qualify for VA disability compensation without proving the medical link. Our Agent Orange presumptive conditions guide lists every condition VA currently recognizes.
Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans and the City’s Other Memorials
Providence has long honored its war dead close to its heart, which is why the absence of a Vietnam memorial stood out. Rhode Island Monthly laid out what already stands in the capital.
| Memorial | What it honors |
|---|---|
| Memorial Park column (1929) | World War I service members, a 150-foot Doric column |
| Memorial Park colonnade and wall | 2,560 Rhode Island World War II dead |
| Memorial Park bronze soldier | Korean War service |
| Rhode Island IX Memorial | Nine Rhode Island Marines killed in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing |
| State House Garden of Heroes | Rhode Islanders who died in overseas conflicts since Sept. 11, 2001 |
| Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument (1871), Kennedy Plaza | Civil War veterans |
Until now, Rhode Island Vietnam veterans had no comparable place in the capital. The Providence River site would give them one, a short walk from the Beirut memorial that honors a later generation of Rhode Island Marines.
Who Is Leading the Rhode Island Vietnam Memorial Effort
The project brings together the General Assembly, the governor’s office and the state’s largest Vietnam veterans group. Rep. Azzinaro chairs the Vietnam Memorial Commission, which the House has authorized to keep working through April 2028.
The Vietnam Veterans of America State Council of Rhode Island, led by Boisvert, pushed for the commission from the start. In written testimony in 2021, the council said it wanted every Rhode Island veterans organization involved, including women veterans and veterans who belong to no organization at all.
Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa and state Reps. Carol Hagan McEntee, Deb Fellela and Arthur Corvese also attended the September announcement.
What We Still Don’t Know
As of Nov. 6, 2026, several key details have not been made public. Our staff could not find a published design, a cost estimate, a fundraising goal or a target date for groundbreaking or dedication.
The state legislature has not yet acted on design funding, which depends on the governor’s next budget proposal. The size of the private fundraising campaign has also not been announced.
Why This Matters
Rhode Island Vietnam veterans came home to a country that did not thank them. The state’s own House resolution says Vietnam veterans were not given the welcome home earlier generations received.
Many never talked about what they saw. Some spent decades fighting the VA over illnesses tied to Agent Orange. For a generation now in its late 70s and 80s, a memorial built in five years means something. A memorial built in 15 may come too late for the men who asked for it.
How You Can Help Remember Them
- Say “Welcome home.” Three words many waited 50 years to hear.
- Record their story. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project collects first-person accounts.
- Help with a VA claim. Point a veteran or widow to the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services.
- Honor those who came home and later died. The In Memory program recognizes them by name.
- Support the memorial. Give through the donate page and share this story.
Resources for Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans
- Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services: vets.ri.gov, 401-921-2119
- VA benefits line: 800-827-1000
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1
Frequently Asked Questions About Rhode Island Vietnam Veterans
How many Rhode Island Vietnam veterans died in the war?
The National Archives lists 209 fatal casualties with Rhode Island as their home state of record. Their names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
How many Rhode Islanders served in Vietnam?
About 21,000 members of the Armed Forces from Rhode Island served during the Vietnam War, according to a 2021 resolution of the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Where will the Rhode Island Vietnam memorial be built?
On state-owned land along the Providence River in downtown Providence, beside 146 Dyer St. The site was presented publicly on Sept. 1, 2026.
When will the Providence Vietnam memorial be finished?
No date has been announced. Design funding is expected in the governor’s next budget proposal, and construction will rely on private donations.
Is there a Vietnam Veterans Day in Rhode Island?
Yes. Rhode Island General Law § 25-2-20, passed in 2017, sets aside March 29 each year as Vietnam Veterans Day.
Where can Rhode Island Vietnam veterans get help with benefits?
Start with the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services, the VA benefits line at 800-827-1000, or a free accredited service officer from the VFW, American Legion, DAV or Vietnam Veterans of America.
Sources
- Rhode Island Current: Rhode Island’s Vietnam veterans have waited decades for a memorial
- Rhode Island Monthly: Last Honors with Providence’s War Memorials
- Rhode Island House Resolution H 6162 (2021)
- Rhode Island 250: The Traveling Wall at Rocky Point
- Warwick Beacon: Traveling Vietnam Wall brings closure, remembrance to veterans
- Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services
Rhode Island Vietnam veterans gave this state their youth, and 209 gave everything. Know their names, tell their stories and help finish the memorial they were promised. We build legacies, not campaigns.
