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VIETNAM VETERANS’ MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN

Kansas City, Missouri

The Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Fountain at 43rd Street and Broadway near the Country Club Plaza honors Kansas City area Vietnam War veterans. It was dedicated on December 16, 1985.

David Baker, a Vietnam veteran whose design was chosen from among 50 entries in a local competition, symbolized the Vietnam War in his fountain design. The series of gradually increasing pools signify our nation's growing involvement in the war. Spilling into two separate pools, the fountain symbolizes the nation's divided opinions of the conflict.

Underwater lights illuminate the waterfalls at night, and a 75-foot-long wall displays the names of 385 veterans from the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area.
Larkin engineers provided consulting services for the fountain, including electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering and site design. Construction began in September 1985, and was completed a year later.