Vietnam Memorial

Artist: Ackerman, Frank

Date: 1973

Medium: Bronze on granite

Artwork Dimensions: 52 x 23 x 11 in.

County Department: Internal Services

Artwork Site: Gloria Molina Grand Park

Supervisorial District: 1

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: Situated in the Court of Flags in Grand Park, this County-commissioned Vietnam Memorial honors the 231,000 Los Angeles residents who served in the Vietnam War. The design consists of a solitary cast bronze helmet resting on a plinth, the top surface resembles the ground. The inscription reads, “In proud recognition of the men and women of Los Angeles County who faithfully served with courage, dignity and honor 1961-1973.”

About the Artist: Frank Ackerman (1933-1986) was a prominent watercolor artist who attended the Chouinard Art Institute and was President of the National Watercolor Society in the early 1970s. His designs have been exhibited at many galleries and museums including the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and the National Academy of Design, New York. Ackerman joined LA County’s Graphic Arts Department after working as a County architectural draftsman and illustrator. He headed the County Graphics Department between 1973 and 1980 and then became the Chief of Museum Exhibit Services at the Museum of Natural History. Ackerman also traveled to the South Pole as an official Navy artist in the 1960s.