Standing tall: New flagpole rededicated at Bend’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial after vandalism, community effort

Community effort meets its Veterans Day goal: 'We are fighting a battle, but it will happen'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The new, taller and stronger flagpole was rededicated in a special Veterans Day ceremony Monday at the Bend Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Deschutes Memorial Gardens following a quick, strong community-wide effort to erase the damage wrought by vandals who toppled its predecessor and destroyed the flags flying from it.

NewsChannel 21 has been following that patriotic effort led by veteran Bill Gabriel and Marine Corps League 1308.

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Earlier report:

Sometimes, good, even great things can come about for the saddest, most upsetting reasons – a wonderfully welcome and heartwarming turn of events.

That’s surely the case in the business and community outpouring of recent days in the wake of vandals who toppled the Vietnam Veterans Memorial flagpole at Bend’s Deschutes Memorial Gardens, also ripping the U.S. and POW/MIA flags from it.

Organizations have come together en masse, seeking to play a role in its replacement and improvement, with Advanced Northwest Welding among the first, offering a free replacement and help with its improved redesign, according to Vietnam veteran Bill Gabriel.

The new flagpole – with a goal of rededication at 3 p.m. on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11 – will have a 48-inch-wide base plate, emblazoned with the message: “POW/MIA Gone But Not Forgotten.”

The new, 41-foot-tall pole will be anchored even deeper into the ground than the old one– eight feet deep, Gabriel said Sunday.

“We have possibly five contractors giving labor and material to place this flagpole upright and flying the U.S. Flag and POW/MIA flags again, which should cost about $20,000 to $25,000,” Gabriel said.

He later provided an even bigger number: “We have had 20 contractors offer labor and materials.”

Deschutes Memorial Gardens also “approached us that they would like to pay for everything,” Gabriel said. “I told them thank you but NO – the community has responded, and they should have their hands on this special project.”

In addition, Deschutes County Veterans' Services has provided $3,000 for the project, he said, and helped arrange for a bronze plaque that will be placed on the memorial's north wall:

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The Mountain View High School Navy JROTC Cadet Corp plans to unfurl its 30-by-50-foot American flag, a ceremonial act at many special High Desert events, during the rededication salute, he noted.

"It's a lot of work," he said, "and everyone working on this is going on a schedule agreed on by me and J. Young at Advanced Northwest Welding. We are fighting a battle, but it will happen, like the (Vietnam Veterans) Memorial was finished in 2 1/2 months."

“This was not the Vietnam Veterans Flagpole alone that was pulled to the ground and flags torn off and two little pieces left lying on the ground,” Gabriel told us, “but every person that lives in Bend and Deschutes (County), is part of their history. People in their families died protecting this flag, and are buried out here.”

“The cemetery manager for Deschutes Memorial Gardens then promised to match the cost of the donated labor and materials and funds raised to give them to VFW Post 1643, VVA Chapter 820 And Marine Corps League 1308 so we could disburse those funds to our local charities.

“It's the community and contractors paying it forward, Deschutes Gardens paying it forward, and the veterans groups paying it forward,” Gabriel said.