The Moving Wall And Other Vietnam Veteran Memorials

Originally, they called it the Vietnam Veterans MemorialLockyear, conceived the idea of a memorial forest.
(Mobile). It is now known as the Moving Wall: AThe North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Highway
portable, half-size replica of the original Wall. TheMemorial also uses living trees to honor those who lost
traveling version was first displayed in Texas in 1984,their lives in Vietnam. Dedicated on Memorial Day 1991,
and since then, it has made stops in more than 200the memorial features 58,000 loblolly pines that were
cities across the country. There are also at least twoplanted along a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in
state moving walls in Alabama and Ohio.Davidson County, between Lexington and Greensboro.
The original Moving Wall was built in 1983 by threeThe trees also encircle the highway memorial's
California Vietnam veterans-John Devitt, Gerry Haver,centerpiece, a brick wall nearly one hundred feet long
and Morris Shears. "I wanted everyone to see thoseand eight feet high. Each of the wall's 1,600 bricks is
names on the wall," said Devitt, a former First Cavengraved with the name of a North Carolinian who
helicopter door gunner who now spends his timedied in Vietnam.
transporting the Moving Wall around the nation.The Tar Heel State also has a more traditional
Devitt and company secured permission from theVietnam veterans memorial in Raleigh, the state capital.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation in WashingtonDedicated on Memorial Day 1987, it consists of a large,
to construct their wall using the original blueprints. Forbronze sculpture of two combat infantrymen carrying
portability purposes, the wall is built of aluminum. But itsa wounded buddy and bronze plaques dedicated to
shiny enamel paint and raised letters closely emulatethe state's Vietnam veterans.
the original. "It was important that the letters be raised,"Several other states have used roads to honor
Devitt said. "It gives people the opportunity to touch theVietnam veterans. Delaware's I-495, for example, is
names, to feel the names."officially known as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Moving Wall generates the same types ofHighway, and Vermont's I-89 shares the same name.
response that the original wall does. Thousands comeOn October 20, 1982, Vermont officials dedicated a
to pay their respects, and dozens of volunteers stand12-foot-high granite monument in an I-89 rest area near
guard to help visitors locate names. Many leavethe town of Sharon. The memorial lists the names of
mementos at the Moving Wall, all of which arethe 138 Vermont men killed in the war.
collected and stored in a California warehouse.During the war, on May 31, 1969, local officials in
Although Devitt and company built a replica a coupleEvansville, Indiana, and in Henderson, Kentucky,
of years ago, the wall's itinerary is booked solid. Forrenamed the twin bridges that connect their cities to
information, write to: Vietnam Combat Veterans, Inc.,honor those killed in the war. The spans are officially
Attn: Memorial Fund, 1267 Alma Ct., San Jose, CAcalled the Bi-state Vietnam Gold Star Memorial
95112.Bridges.
Like the original Wall and the traveling replica, nearly allOn May 30,1993, Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke cut a
state and local memorials honor Vietnam veterans byribbon and officially renamed the city's heavily traveled
listing the names of those killed and missing and byHanover Street Bridge the Vietnam Veterans
representing their service with words or statues. ButMemorial Bridge. That historic event-the first time in the
some memorials are in different forms, for example,city's long history that a bridge was renamed to honor
longtime VVA member Geoffrey Steiner's herculeanan individual or group-was attended by more than
effort to plant the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Forest2,000 people, including 40 Gold Star mothers, 20 color
on a 100-acre parcel of land he owns in Cushing,guards from a half dozen veterans organizations
Minnesota, about 120 miles north of Minneapolis.(including seven Maryland VVA chapters), an Army
Steiner, who did a 1967-68 tour with the Marines,National Guard band, and reporters from the city's four
started on his goal of planting a tree for eachTV stations. The dedication capped months of hard
American who died in Vietnam in 1980. He haswork by the members of VVA Chapter 451 in
personally planted more than 30,000 trees, and hisMaryland's largest city.
once-lonely effort has now been officially recognizedChapter member Ed Vogel conceived of the idea of
by the state of Minnesota. Steiner has received aidrenaming the bridge while it was being renovated in
from the fund-raising efforts of several VVA chapters.1992. "That way, the bridge could serve as a gateway
A member of Chapter 214, Steiner has served asto the Maryland Vietnam Veterans Memorial," which
Minnesota's VVA chaplain. He says he purposelywas dedicated in 1989 across the Patapsco River
chose not to work with stone or sculpture. "Whatfrom downtown Baltimore, chapter president John
we're trying to do is heal the people," he told aAverella told The VVA Veteran. Vogel chaired a
reporter. "This is a living memorial."15-member bridge dedication committee that
Since 1989, VVA Chapter 392 in Portland, Oregon, hasconvinced the City Council to rename the bridge. The
been actively involved in another massive tree-plantingcommittee raised $9,000 to pay for new highway
endeavor-planting 60,000 trees throughout Oregon tosigns, two large brass plaques, and the big
memorialize those who died in Vietnam. More than halfdedication-day ceremonies. "From a single idea six
the trees-which are being donated by the statemonths earlier, to an event that we will remember for
Department of Forestry-are in place. Chapter 392'sa lifetime, all this was made possible by members of
partners in the effort are the Lions International ofour chapter and the support of their families," Averella
Oregon and ReTree International, a big timbersaid.
company whose president, octogenarian Frank