Michigan owes a debt of gratitude to its 2,654 residents who were killed in the Vietnam War.

Now, a permanent memorial is in place in Lansing to honor their memory.

The Michigan Vietnam Monument is now in place at Ottawa and Butler streets in Lansing, two blocks west of the State Capitol building. The monument includes a curved 110-foot steel beam that cradles the names of the 2,649 deceased veterans.

The building trades and Christman Construction built the $3.4 million monument, which went up on 2.5 acres near the Capitol Building and was dedicated in November on Veterans Day.

Project Commissioner Keith King said any future money donated to the project will be used for maintenance of the site. He said project coordinators have learned lessons from other memorials, which have deteriorated because there was no money dedicated to their upkeep.

To make a tax-deductible contribution, send a check payable to the Michigan Vietnam Monument Commission, 611 West Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48913. For more information, call (517) 373-3131 or (800) 492-2649.

A STATE LAW in 1992 established the Vietnam monument site in Lansing, and the design for the memorial was chosen from among 200 entries. It is now complete.