The Design and Build Competition
In 1996, Mayor Frank Fry decided to build a Vietnam War Memorial in honor and commemoration of the American and Vietnamese servicemen. A statue of two soldiers, an American and a Vietnamese, would represent the cooperation between the servicemen who fought side by side during the War. In a national contest to design the Memorial, Mayor Fry enlisted the assistance of a panel of judges who were asked to make the final selection of a sculptor to design the memorial statue. Judges who considered the work of the competition artists included USMC Major General James J. McMonagle, Ret.; ARVN  Lt.General Lam Quang Thi, Ret.; and local artist, Marge Swenson. In August of 1998 the panel selected sculptor Tuan Nguyen to design and produce what is now officially named the Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster.

About the Artist
Tuan was born in Vietnam in 1963 to an artistic family. His father, Nham Ngoc Nguyen, is well known as an architect. Tuan began sculpting at an early age. He experienced the fall of Saigon in 1975, and survived a failed escape from his native land in 1987. Eventually, 

he fled to the United States in 1988. Tuan studied at the Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach, from 1991 - 1995. An artist of excellent reputation whose work is known both here and in Vietnam, Tuan Nguyen is a master at conveying a sense of humanity, character and emotion in his figurative sculptures. Since graduating from the Art Institute of Southern California, his work has been displayed in several galleries around the country and in museums in Riverside and Laguna Beach. In 1994, Tuan received the Gloria Medal from the National Sculpture Society (New York). This award is best owed upon young artists for a "meritorious body of work". In 1995, Tuan was commissioned by the Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation in Dana Point, California to recreate a portrait of Nicole that is permanently on display at the Foundation.

About the Project
The Vietnam War Memorial will consist of two 10-ft figures cast in bronze authentically depicting an American and Vietnamese soldier on a 5-ft base. Surrounding the sculpture will be a black marble wall. The Memorial is under construction at Freedom Park, 14180 Monroe Street, City of Westminster California.