Visitors taking a moment at Dogwood Vietnam Memorial in Charlottesville

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Many are taking time Monday, May 29, to stop at the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial in Charlottesville’s McIntire Park.

“I’m out here today to honor the veterans, most specifically the Vietnam veterans. They hold a very special place in my heart and my mom’s heart,” Erin Kalan said.

Kalan says she works as a travelling primary care physician who works specifically with veterans,

“I’m reminded of the service and the sacrifice every day when I take care of them,” she said.

Kalan says she and her mother were on their way to Orange County when they decided to stop by this memorial.

“I have a lot of veterans in my family, so honoring them is a part of why I’m doing this,” she said. “We have our cookouts, we have fun, but it’s so important that we remember why we’re doing all of that.”

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