Replacing tree with statue rankles Vietnam War vets
A local veterans group is upset at the city of Little Rock for placing a statue where a memorial tree for Arkansas war veterans once stood.
City officials say the Virginia pine tree, which stood on the grounds of City Hall, was dying when it was removed last summer and that the city has no record that it was a memorial for Vietnam veterans.
Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter 184 representative and former President James Stanley accused the mayor of “misconduct” and “insensitivity” toward Vietnam War veterans in a letter sent to the mayor’s office on Feb. 20 and shared with the media.
Stanley said that in previous letters addressed to Mayor Frank Scott Jr., he requested meetings, asked for a formal apology and asked for a “sizable” tree to replace it. In addition to the letters, he said he handed Scott a business card in person at a local restaurant and asked for a meeting but never received a response.
“We’re willing to meet with the mayor and try to work something out as to the planting of the new tree,” Stanley said. “The veterans could even possibly pay for it, but we got no response at all. So, that’s why the veterans community — the ones I’ve talked to at least — have kind of expressed surprise and chagrin, if you want to call it that, that we get nothing out of the city on this. I just don’t understand that.”
Stephanie Jackson, Scott’s spokesman, said the mayor has not received any meeting requests or letters other than the one sent on Feb. 20 and an email received Wednesday.
“Mayor Scott would also love an opportunity to discuss with Mr. Stanley his concerns,” she said.
When the tree was planted on Nov. 11, 1991, Stanley said members of the Vietnam Veterans Association chapter wrote the names of the 628 Vietnam War veterans from Arkansas who died in the war and buried them with the tree.
Now, the winning sculpture of the Sculpture at River Market competition from May 2019 will be placed on the spot where the tree stood. The placement of the sculpture was discussed as early as June according to internal emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
City spokesman Lamor Williams said the tree was removed due to its deteriorating health and concerns it could pose a threat to nearby traffic.
“As they do from time the time, the city’s Urban Forestry Division assesses the trees on city property,” Williams said. “The Urban Forestry Division had looked at the tree and recommended the removal due to illness. They noted it had increased the production of its pine cones, which is a sign of the last stages of the life of this type of tree.”
Stanley said in the letter the idea of the tree’s illness or endangerment to nearby traffic are “obvious untruths.”
The city’s arborist could not be reached for comment on his process of determining the health of the tree.
Stanley’s wife, Audrey
Burtrum-Stanley, said she is a former president of the urban forestry council and inspected the tree about two times per year over the nearly 30 years it stood. She said she did not agree with the city’s diagnosis.
“This is another slap in the face for the city to come in and destroy a beautiful specimen that had been planted here — a healthy growing tree,” Burtrum-Stanley said. “There was not one thing wrong with this tree.”
Burtrum-Stanley said the tree never had dying limbs or an excess amount of dead needles, and the city should have spoken with the veterans before the removal of the tree.
“I might add also that the mayor had not been in office any time at all, and this is certainly a very serious mark as to what kind of a person is in public office.” Burtrum-Stanley said.
Williams said, in addition to the city arborist’s diagnosis of the tree, the city had no record of the significance of the tree and it did not have a plaque noting its status as a memorial.
Stanley said his group asked for a plaque to be installed several times, but the city refused each request.
“Each time, over the years, City Hall’s response was the budget had been set or there were no extra funds in the budget or the individual in charge was not available,” Stanley said.
Stanley now wants the plaque to include details about the tree’s original planting and about how it was “wrongfully” removed.
“The plaque’s wording, telling of the tree’s connection with the deceased Arkansas soldiers from the Vietnam War, should also include the full truth; the original living memorial tree was wrongly destroyed,” Stanley said.