The viet nam moving wall

[Bad Water Bill]

In case anyone in the Chicagoland area is interested.

The Moving Wall Vietnam Memorial will be in Proksa Park, Berwyn IL this week. It's a half sizes replica of the Vietnam Memorial, which is moved around the country for people to see. It will be in Berwyn from August 7th through the 11th. The park's in a nice part of town, and it's a free event as well.

http://movingwall.berwynparks.org/

[462]

The first time it came to a nearby town, I couldn't bring myself to get any closer than about 50-yards. A few years later, it came to my town and my wife and I spent a good while there. Though I don't know any of the names displayed, it was still a very moving experience.

I was in-country June '68/June '69.

Also, our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans deserve nothing less.

[Harter66]

It visits Hawthorne Nv almost every Armed Forces Day weekend. It is sobering.

The weekend before Memorial Day most years, Its Hawthornes big todo.

[quilbilly]

The first time it came to a nearby town, I couldn't bring myself to get any closer than about 50-yards. A few years later, it came to my town and my wife and I spent a good while there. Though I don't know any of the names displayed, it was still a very moving experience.

I was in-country June '68/June '69.

Also, our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans deserve nothing less.
I hear that. When I went to visit it when it came to Vancouver, Wa. some years back, I too couldn't get any closer than 50 yards. I just sat down and wept for a bit then walked away. Too many old friends from my time there until the evacuation.

[elkhuntfever]

I've visited the wall in DC and wept with no shame. Two names etched there were classmates and friends. The need to reach out to them, to let them know I will never forget them was overwhelming.

[Epd230]

I have seen both. I actually was more moved by the portable one.

I found the real wall in DC to be packed shoulder to shoulder three people deep to see it. It really took away from the experience.

I would highly recommend anyone to go see it if they can.

[shdwlkr]

I viewed it a very long time ago a nice lady took me to the wall and I got some rubbings of some I knew including a cousin that I should of been the one that brought him home but we were in different branches of the military. It is supposed to be in idaho some time soon just might go see it again, no one to hold me up this time though. It is like for me those on the wall are there especially late in the day when the shadows start falling over the wall.

[jonp]

I and my sweetie have been honored to be allowed to stand guard at The Traveling Wall on several occasions. It is a good experience for everyone to go and see.

[DCP]

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.


For our tomorrow
They gave their today

[troyboy]

God bless them. Freedom isn't free

[10-x]

Been to the Wall in DC 2 times, never seen or had the chance to see the traveling wall. Good friends brother is on there. Fortunate not to know anyone in my unit that was KIA.

[beagle]

Traveling wall is worth the visit. They have a good system. I had the name of four friends. They quickly found them on a computer and gave me the coordinates. Didn't leave dry eyed for a fact./beagle

[richhodg66]

It's going to be here later this month. We already have commitments for my students to do a few color guards and some ushering duties. I've seen it before and also been to the one in D.C., very moving.

[DIRT Farmer]

Never been to Washington, twice to the traveling wall, wasn't quite up to it the last time it was local. I left two cigerattes in two different places.

Amen brothers

[grampa243]

it was here last year. there are a few names on it of local boys. very moving..


we should be doing this for the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans not protesting at the burials..

[multigunner76]

My Dad took me to see it when I was 12 or 13. Its the only time I saw him cry. Vietnam Killed him, although he died in 95

[Larry Gibson]

I doubt Viet Nam was what killed your dad. If he was like most of us, especially those who actually saw the combat, what we were thought of when we came home and what we were made to think of ourselves was what killed him.........the BS from and of the protesters while not pleasant wasn't as bad as the "Silent Majority" being so silent......especially the scorn from the WWII vets and even many Korean War vets was.......well that's history now...........except for many of us........

May your father rest in peace now. He has my utmost respect.

Larry Gibson

[Harter66]

I doubt Viet Nam was what killed your dad. If he was like most of us, especially those who actually saw the combat, what we were thought of when we came home and what we were made to think of ourselves was what killed him.........the BS from and of the protesters while not pleasant wasn't as bad as the "Silent Majority" being so silent......especially the scorn from the WWII vets and even many Korean War vets was.......well that's history now...........except for many of us........

May your father rest in peace now. He has my utmost respect.

Larry Gibson

Larry ,
well said .

It seems that our more recent vets share more of the .......... clinicaly, pschological issues (deep scars) of Viet Nam than those that came before. I've spent a good deal of time w/men of WWII and Korea more recently Viet Nam and forward. Even Korea was ''a gentlemans war'' IE; there was a defined enemy and by and large a defined goal. By Viet Nam there was no defined ,uniformed enemy ,the enemy that intended to kill our men was as likely to be a small child as an old woman as a uniformed soldier. In todays war there are no uniformed comabtants. Too much like Viet Nam every stone, branch,line and face is as likely a trap as the perimiter claymores. Of course I'm just looking in the fish bowl from a safe distance.

Apoligies for the Hijack from a Dad who watches helplessly a son bleed from the unseen wounds.

[Cowboy_Dan]

We visited the main one during my 8th grade class trip to DC. I found someone in the book with the same name as me. I still have that rubbing somewhere in the scrapbook assignment from the trip.

Although, the Korea one got to me more, but my granddad was a coreman there, and one of the people in the monument is a coreman. Not to take anything away from the Viet Nam people.

[shdwlkr]

Yes Larry everything you said was correct.
what you left out was the garbage being freely thrown at our returning troops, being spit on by fellow Americans, and just standing there letting it happen because you were ordered to not respond. Must not forget being called baby killers also
Yep a fun time to have been in uniform
You did forget the VA and how some get treated even to this day for having been in service during Vietnam conflict

[unclebill]

Yes Larry everything you said was correct.
what you left out was the garbage being freely thrown at our returning troops, being spit on by fellow Americans, and just standing there letting it happen because you were ordered to not respond. Must not forget being called baby killers also
Yep a fun time to have been in uniform
You did forget the VA and how some get treated even to this day for having been in service during Vietnam conflict
Embedded within a couple of entries on snopes is the commonly accepted belief that Vietnam Veterans were spat upon by anti-war demonstrators.

If one of our returning heroes, trained in combat, were spat upon, what do you think would have happened next? It would have made the headlines the next day!

Their are no verifiable instances of the spitting actually happening. So while it is impossible to prove that it never took place, certainly the belief that it was a common occurence is an urban legend.

[10-x]

Larry,
Thank you for posting, hit the nail on the head. After Vietnam I did a year in the national guard. Nuf sed. Today I tell folks I never regret serving, but I would not do it again. As for getting spat on, no,coming home I was accosted by some guy in a raincoat in a terminal of LAX who asked if I wanted to buy a watch. He opened his coat displaying lots of watches. I laughed in his face and told him xin loi.

[Hickory]

The traveling wall and the one in DC differ,
if you want to know how they differ, see them both.

[Harter66]

A Dr friend of mine did a 2 yr internship/residence in VN getting his travling order hand delivered shortly after his diploma . I asked once about his Homecoming, 1969,a black man,in Dallas Tx nevermind an officer. He recounted an actually rather somber deplaning w/a welcome home from the pilot an AF bomber that had come home in 67' , and a mix of scowls, compassion, and the occasioal 6 yo salute. He called his wife from the nearest phone and before he could finish his call for a ride home ''this Jesus Freak hippy was screaming in my face,next thing I know he's on the floor cold out,I'm hanging up and this security guard has my hand sayin' I've wanted to do that to that sonofa ***** for week . Can I get ya a cab or a drink or something?'' That is recounted for truth 1st hand to me.

[sniper69]

A t shirt I have from the moving wall. A good friend of mine is a vietnam vet and has done the moving wall escort. I wasn't able to, but he got me a tshirt.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/14711314289_a0d7a7b690_c.jpg