Orleans Veterans Committee Selects Chosin Reservoir Photo, Approves Vietnam Memorial Design

ORLEANS — May 26, 2026 — Orleans Veterans Committee advances Korean War and Vietnam Memorial designs in contested votes. The committee voted two to one on May 26 to use a historic U.S. postage-stamp photograph depicting Marines at the Chosin Reservoir as the centerpiece of the Korean War bronze plate, overriding member Andrew DeLore's preference for an original drawing by local artist Dan Joy — with DeLore casting the lone dissent. The panel voted unanimously to use Barre granite, a Vermont-sourced light gray stone already present in the park's bench material, for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, citing domestic sourcing advantages amid recent tariff-driven price increases. The committee also unanimously approved DeLore's "B2" V-formation design concept for the Vietnam Memorial — two angled wing panels flanking a center triangular wedge bearing the word "Vietnam" — with fabricator Tom Blute of Crosby Monument recommending an added granite base to ease installation and provide a ledge for mementos. No cost estimate is yet available; Blute said he must first lay out the monument's approximately 1,778 characters of veterans' names to determine final dimensions. The committee set June 30 as the target date for Blute to return with a near-final composite for the Korean War plate and further progress on the Vietnam Memorial layout.