Latino Veterans of Vietnam Honored
Latino veterans of the Vietnam War got their first official memorial Wednesday when residents of the Boyle Heights community dedicated a new pedestrian mall in their honor.
More than 300 people, including several Latino veterans of the conflict, stood by as the Paseo de las Flores Pedestrian Promenade was officially opened to the public.
Frank Villalobos, a spokesman for the Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, said the bronze plaque honoring Latinos who served in Vietnam is the first of its kind in the country.
“This is a big day for East L.A.,” he said. “The plaque is an instant community landmark.”
The Paseo de las Flores Pedestrian Promenade, funded with $450,000 in public and private money, is half a block south of Brooklyn Avenue between Soto and Breed streets on a site that used to be a blighted alley.
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