VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Flame of Hope was dedicated on May 22, 1972. Forty-seven years: that's a long time ago and the monument has definitely seen better days.
A large tree has uprooted much of the walkway to the monument. A storm blew down part of a flag pole. Words on a plaque have been bleached out by the sun. Perhaps most importantly, the concrete collar around the actual flame itself is badly cracked.
The Jaycees are said to be working on a proposal to submit to the Navy so repairs can begin. The approval process will be lengthy and nobody at this point knows how much the repairs will cost.
"Oceana's working with local civic groups on maintenance and upkeep of the flame of Hope. We're currently working through Navy processes on this relationship," said Jennifer Hayes, NAS Oceana Public Affairs Officer.
The monument is a beloved local landmark, celebrated each September during the Oceana Air Show.
In 2000, 13News Now featured Martha Consolvo of Virginia Beach, who passed away earlier this year. She came out every year to the Flame of Hope to honor her missing son, Marine Corps Captain F-4 Phantom Pilot John Consolvo, who went down over Vietnam in '72.
"It gives the local veterans groups and the sailors and the community a chance to come out here and honor those who have fought for our freedoms and haven't returned home," Hayes said at the time.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, as of December 2019, Americans still unaccounted for in Vietnam number 1,587.
You can watch "The Healing Journey," our original 2000 report on missing service members in Vietnam, below: