In keeping with a tradition of now several years, this Sunday on Father’s Day thousands of roses will be placed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site next to the renowned Wall. Each rose holds a personal message in honor of the fathers on The Wall, those who never had a chance to come home and become fathers, and those who later died after the Vietnam War ended. 

Family, friends, and visitors are invited to take part in laying roses. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) which orders the roses, it is a breathtaking sight that demonstrates both the gratitude and the sacrifices of families impacted by war. Individuals and groups also sponsor roses with personalized messages that will be printed and placed on the flowers.

The colors of the roses have special significance. Red roses symbolize those killed in action. Yellow roses symbolize those unaccounted for (missing in action/prisoners of war). White roses with red tips symbolize those who died after the War ended.

VVMF produced a video about the event on Father’s Day 2020, a year when the laying of the roses had to be accomplished somewhat differently than usual due to the pandemic. The video can be viewed by clicking here.