Monument panel proposed

The creation of a committee to oversee the placing of monuments at Sid Goldstein Freedom Park tops the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Westminster City Council.

The proposed committee would consist of seven members, including five persons appointed by councimembers and two at-large members representing the military veteran community.

Proposed by Councilmember Carlos Manzo, the panel would be created in the wake of a controversy over the establishment of a monument commemorating the 1972 battle of Quang Tri between North Vietnamese forces, and those of the Republic of (South) Vietnam, with some American support.

Originally approved by the council on Dec. 9, 2020, the project was placed on hold at the June 25 meeting. Opponents of the Quang Tri Victory monument expressed concern that the park, already the home of the Vietnam War Memorial and other commemorations, might become crowded and take away from the original intent of establishing the park.

Proponents argue that the battle’s outcome prevented a communist takeover of South Vietnam, and was an important landmark in the history of the Vietnamese community in the U.S.

Approval of the creation of the committee would be paired with a moratorium on new monuments until the panel is in place.

The council will meet via teleconference with a closed session at 6 p.m. and the open session scheduled for 7 p.m.