Published Jun 29, 2026, 9:16 AM EDT
A tribute at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial has a unique way of honoring soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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Published Jun 29, 2026, 9:16 AM EDT
Memorials across the country often find special ways to honor fallen veterans. The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Frankfort makes sure veterans are honored every day. Since Veterans Day 1988, a sundial has highlighted each veteran listed at the memorial. On the anniversary of each veteran’s death, the tip of its shadow touches the engraved name of every veteran etched onto a large blue-gray granite plaza. The sundial was designed by the late Helm Roberts, who won a design contest hosted by the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the late 1980s. Roberts, a veteran, received the 2003 Sawyer Dialing Prize from the North American Sundial Society (NASS) for his work. “(Helm) designed the memorial so every day is Memorial Day for a Kentucky Vietnam Veteran,” according to the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “It is a masterpiece of design, mathematics, history, honor and beauty.” On Friday, members of the NASS got to see the sundial up close when they visited the memorial as part of the organization’s 31st annual conference, held June 25 to 28 in Louisville, Ky.
