| Originally, they called it the Vietnam
| |
| | International, a big timber company whose
|
| Veterans Memorial (Mobile). It is now
| |
| | president, octogenarian Frank Lockyear,
|
| known as the Moving Wall: A portable,
| |
| | conceived the idea of a memorial forest.
|
| half-size replica of the original Wall.
| |
| | The North Carolina Vietnam Veterans
|
| The traveling version was first displayed
| |
| | Highway Memorial also uses living trees
|
| in Texas in 1984, and since then, it has
| |
| | to honor those who lost their lives in
|
| made stops in more than 200 cities across
| |
| | Vietnam. Dedicated on Memorial Day 1991,
|
| the country. There are also at least two
| |
| | the memorial features 58,000 loblolly
|
| state moving walls in Alabama and Ohio.
| |
| | pines that were planted along a 12-mile
|
| The original Moving Wall was built in
| |
| | stretch of Interstate 85 in Davidson
|
| 1983 by three California Vietnam
| |
| | County, between Lexington and Greensboro.
|
| veterans-John Devitt, Gerry Haver, and
| |
| | The trees also encircle the highway
|
| Morris Shears. "I wanted everyone to see
| |
| | memorial's centerpiece, a brick wall
|
| those names on the wall," said Devitt, a
| |
| | nearly one hundred feet long and eight
|
| former First Cav helicopter door gunner
| |
| | feet high. Each of the wall's 1,600
|
| who now spends his time transporting the
| |
| | bricks is engraved with the name of a
|
| Moving Wall around the nation.
| |
| | North Carolinian who died in Vietnam.
|
| Devitt and company secured permission
| |
| | The Tar Heel State also has a more
|
| from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
| |
| | traditional Vietnam veterans memorial in
|
| Foundation in Washington to construct
| |
| | Raleigh, the state capital. Dedicated on
|
| their wall using the original blueprints.
| |
| | Memorial Day 1987, it consists of a
|
| For portability purposes, the wall is
| |
| | large, bronze sculpture of two combat
|
| built of aluminum. But its shiny enamel
| |
| | infantrymen carrying a wounded buddy and
|
| paint and raised letters closely emulate
| |
| | bronze plaques dedicated to the state's
|
| the original. "It was important that the
| |
| | Vietnam veterans.
|
| letters be raised," Devitt said. "It
| |
| | Several other states have used roads to
|
| gives people the opportunity to touch the
| |
| | honor Vietnam veterans. Delaware's I-495,
|
| names, to feel the names."
| |
| | for example, is officially known as the
|
| The Moving Wall generates the same types
| |
| | Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, and
|
| of response that the original wall does.
| |
| | Vermont's I-89 shares the same name. On
|
| Thousands come to pay their respects, and
| |
| | October 20, 1982, Vermont officials
|
| dozens of volunteers stand guard to help
| |
| | dedicated a 12-foot-high granite monument
|
| visitors locate names. Many leave
| |
| | in an I-89 rest area near the town of
|
| mementos at the Moving Wall, all of which
| |
| | Sharon. The memorial lists the names of
|
| are collected and stored in a California
| |
| | the 138 Vermont men killed in the war.
|
| warehouse. Although Devitt and company
| |
| | During the war, on May 31, 1969, local
|
| built a replica a couple of years ago,
| |
| | officials in Evansville, Indiana, and in
|
| the wall's itinerary is booked solid. For
| |
| | Henderson, Kentucky, renamed the twin
|
| information, write to: Vietnam Combat
| |
| | bridges that connect their cities to
|
| Veterans, Inc., Attn: Memorial Fund, 1267
| |
| | honor those killed in the war. The spans
|
| Alma Ct., San Jose, CA 95112.
| |
| | are officially called the Bi-state
|
| Like the original Wall and the traveling
| |
| | Vietnam Gold Star Memorial Bridges.
|
| replica, nearly all state and local
| |
| | On May 30,1993, Baltimore mayor Kurt
|
| memorials honor Vietnam veterans by
| |
| | Schmoke cut a ribbon and officially
|
| listing the names of those killed and
| |
| | renamed the city's heavily traveled
|
| missing and by representing their service
| |
| | Hanover Street Bridge the Vietnam
|
| with words or statues. But some memorials
| |
| | Veterans Memorial Bridge. That historic
|
| are in different forms, for example,
| |
| | event-the first time in the city's long
|
| longtime VVA member Geoffrey Steiner's
| |
| | history that a bridge was renamed to
|
| herculean effort to plant the Vietnam
| |
| | honor an individual or group-was attended
|
| Veterans Memorial Forest on a 100-acre
| |
| | by more than 2,000 people, including 40
|
| parcel of land he owns in Cushing,
| |
| | Gold Star mothers, 20 color guards from a
|
| Minnesota, about 120 miles north of
| |
| | half dozen veterans organizations
|
| Minneapolis.
| |
| | (including seven Maryland VVA chapters),
|
| Steiner, who did a 1967-68 tour with the
| |
| | an Army National Guard band, and
|
| Marines, started on his goal of planting
| |
| | reporters from the city's four TV
|
| a tree for each American who died in
| |
| | stations. The dedication capped months of
|
| Vietnam in 1980. He has personally
| |
| | hard work by the members of VVA Chapter
|
| planted more than 30,000 trees, and his
| |
| | 451 in Maryland's largest city.
|
| once-lonely effort has now been
| |
| | Chapter member Ed Vogel conceived of the
|
| officially recognized by the state of
| |
| | idea of renaming the bridge while it was
|
| Minnesota. Steiner has received aid from
| |
| | being renovated in 1992. "That way, the
|
| the fund-raising efforts of several VVA
| |
| | bridge could serve as a gateway to the
|
| chapters. A member of Chapter 214,
| |
| | Maryland Vietnam Veterans Memorial,"
|
| Steiner has served as Minnesota's VVA
| |
| | which was dedicated in 1989 across the
|
| chaplain. He says he purposely chose not
| |
| | Patapsco River from downtown Baltimore,
|
| to work with stone or sculpture. "What
| |
| | chapter president John Averella told The
|
| we're trying to do is heal the people,"
| |
| | VVA Veteran. Vogel chaired a 15-member
|
| he told a reporter. "This is a living
| |
| | bridge dedication committee that
|
| memorial."
| |
| | convinced the City Council to rename the
|
| Since 1989, VVA Chapter 392 in Portland,
| |
| | bridge. The committee raised $9,000 to
|
| Oregon, has been actively involved in
| |
| | pay for new highway signs, two large
|
| another massive tree-planting
| |
| | brass plaques, and the big dedication-day
|
| endeavor-planting 60,000 trees throughout
| |
| | ceremonies. "From a single idea six
|
| Oregon to memorialize those who died in
| |
| | months earlier, to an event that we will
|
| Vietnam. More than half the trees-which
| |
| | remember for a lifetime, all this was
|
| are being donated by the state Department
| |
| | made possible by members of our chapter
|
| of Forestry-are in place. Chapter 392's
| |
| | and the support of their families,"
|
| partners in the effort are the Lions
| |
| | Averella said.
|
| International of Oregon and ReTree
| |
| |
|
