Last week, The Moving Wall arrived in Tulsa. It arrived on September 10 and moved to the next city on September 18. The Moving Wall is a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. This wall has been traveling the country for 20+ years.
It was stationed in the park behind the Union 6th/7th grade center, where my daughter has swim practice three nights a week. We visited it one night after practice.
The experience was very poignant.
The wall was set up like the memorial in DC. It was staffed and guarded by soldiers. Vietnam vets were the volunteers helping guests view the monument and find names of family members and loved ones.
I will say that I have never known any Vietnam veterans (to my knowledge). No one in my family or my husband's family went to Nam, but I bet my older brothers knew some men who died there. Not having the name of a loved one made it a little difficult to ask for a rubbing for my daughter's extra credit assignment.
Since we didn't know anyone, the volunteer picked the name of one of his comrades who died in the war. Sorry, the rubbing is at school and I can't remember the soldier's name, but I will always remember his story. The volunteer shared his memories of this soldier. It turns out the soldier was a 2nd lieutenant in charge of a reconnaissance unit. Seven men were on their first mission. They were dropped in an area where there was suspected enemy activity. Their job was to note locations and movement of enemy troops.
They were dropped in the middle of the enemy's camp.
All of them died, but not without taking out about 60 North Vietnamese.
I'm not what you would call a weepy person, but I came close to it when he told this story. It brought me closer to the war that was never officially declared in 1969--I was eight at the time.
The memorial area also had examples of the cages that our soldiers lived in and bags that hung from trees where our soldiers were tortured. An eternal fire burned in honor of those who gave their lives. Off to the side was a tribute to the 9/11 victims and those who gave their lives trying to save them.
This memorial touched me and brought home the atrocities of war that the monument in Washington D.C. would never have done.
Why? Because veteran volunteer who shared his story with us.
If the Moving Wall comes to your city, make a point of visiting it.
I'm glad that I did.
Later, Peeps!
You know at least one VV, Margaret -- my DH. I had heard the wall would be here, but I totally forgot. I'm sorry I missed it.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Marilyn, I thought of Bob, but I didn't think he was old enough to have been in Vietnam!
ReplyDeleteWhen the VV told the story about his buddy, I nearly cried it was so moving.