Vietnam veterans are gathering to break ground for a monument at the state Capitol.
Planning has been under way since the state approved the project in 2005. Private donors have contributed $1.3 million, according to the monument's organizing committee.
More than 3,400 Texans died in the Cold War conflict, which spanned nearly two decades. The United States unsuccessfully fought to protect South Vietnam from takeover by the communist forces aligned with North Vietnam.
The bronze monument will stand 14 feet tall, featuring a sculpture of infantry figures. The names of the dead will be stamped on dog tags entombed at the monument.
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday with a keynote speech by Joseph Galloway, the newspaper correspondent awarded a Bronze Star for rescuing a wounded soldier.
