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