Vietnam Era Memorial Bridge, 2002
From CSU's Sense of Place: A Campus History of Colorado's Land-Grant University, by James E. Hansen, Gordon A. Hazard, and Linda M. Meyer. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University, 2018.
The Vietnam Era Memorial Bridge was built to allow easy access over Arthur Ditch for pedestrians and bicycles. Some of the bricks used to construct the bridge were from the remains of Old Main, the first academic building on campus. The use of these bricks was symbolic because it was rumored that Old Main was burned down on May 8, 1970, to protest the Vietnam War.
Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature Dr. Kai-ho Mah created the basic concept for the bridge. Final design approval was done by a committee of students and staff from the Student Recreation Center, Lory Student Center and the Department of Facilities Management. The Architectural Resource Group donated their services to provide the architectural plans for construction and Baldwin Construction built the structure.
On May 13, 1992, a dedication ceremony brought together many people who had lived through the Vietnam War experience including retired United States Senator George McGovern (D-South Dakota). McGovern was the Democratic presidential candidate who ran against and lost to President Richard M. Nixon in the 1972 election. McGovern was considered a “peace candidate”. One goal of building the bridge was to facilitate the healing process between the former war supporters and war protestors.
In November and December 2017, the heavily used campus thoroughfare received a new deck.
Sources by Gordon A. Hazard
State Board of Agriculture Land: Chuck Terrell Interview, June 1986, page 4.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, June 1, 1990, page 3, vol. 98, number 158.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, Summer 1990, June 1990, page 3, vol. 98, number 160.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, November 26, 1990, page 2, vol. 99, issue 70.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, April 26, 1991, page 3, vol. 99, number 144.
Colorado State University Alumnus, Summer 1991, page 10.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, November 1, 1991, pages 1 and 5, vol. 100, issue 59.
Comment, November 7, 1991, page 1, vol. 22, number 11.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, March 23, 1992, page 3, vol. 100, issue 114.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, May 20, 1992, pages 1 and 3, vol. 100, issue 148.
Rocky Mountain Collegian, Mail-Out Issue, July 1992, page 7, vol. 101, number 4.
Colorado State University Alumnus, July – August 1992, cover and pages 9 – 13.
Ram Page, September 1992, page 1, vol. 11, number 2.
Colorado State University Alumnus, September - October 1992, page 4.
Colorado State University Alumnus, November - December 1992, page 6.
“Democracy’s University – A History of Colorado State University 1970 – 2003” by James E. Hansen II, 2007, pp. 349, 350, 351, 353.
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