---

ATTLEBORO - A block of engraved granite, which could be part of a memorial for a soldier killed in Vietnam, has found its way from a junk pile in Johnston, R.I., to the safety of the second floor veterans office at city hall in Attleboro.

Beyond that, little is known, said Veterans Services Director Peter Rego.

But it's a mystery that must be solved to honor the dead and respect the living who strove to remember and carved their intent in stone, he said.

"If, in fact it was a memorial, there must be somebody going crazy looking for it," Rego said.

The 80-pound piece of granite is approximately a foot high by a foot wide by about 8 inches thick. It is inscribed with the words "We Will Remember Vietnam" and the dates May 30, 1967 and Aug. 14, 1967.

It could have been part of a grave marker that was vandalized, Rego said.

There's no name or other information on the stone.

The dates could be the time served by a soldier in Vietnam, but no one knows for sure, Rego said.

"It could have been when he set foot in Vietnam and when he left in Vietnam," he said.

The stone was found by someone in Johnston, who contacted an Attleboro veteran who in turn brought it to Rego.

The memorial had apparently been discarded on a construction site in Johnston, Rego said.

Police efforts to locate the owner have not been successful, he said.

Rego is hoping some publicity will help find the owner so the stone can be returned to its rightful place.

If that doesn't happen, it will be put in an Attleboro park, he said. "We'll dedicate it to the unknown soldier," Rego said.

GEORGE W. RHODES can be reached at 508-236-0432 or at grhodes@thesunchronicle.com.