| If you would like to pay your
respects to those veterans from Michigan who gave their
lives in the Vietnam War, a memorial might be coming to a
town near you. After Bessemer the wall moves on to
Sandstone, MN. from July 10th to July 14th. It then moves to
Ely, MN from July 17th. through July 21st.
The wall returns to the U.P. when it will
go on display at Manistique from July 24 through July 28.
Where donations from area businesses and residents helped
pay for the arrival of the wall which will be set up along
the Manistique River at the marina.
The wall, which has been making its way across the state for
three years, was donated by volunteers at the Selfridge Air
Base in downstate Harrison Township.
The Vietnam Veterans of America are traveling around the
Upper Peninsula with a moving wall filled with over 2,500
names of Michigan Veterans killed in the war. Since June the
wall has traveled to Negaunee, Houghton, Hancock and Iron
Mountain. In 2005 the wall was viewed in Ontonagon County at
the White Pine American Legion Post. Prior to that it
appeared at Kingsford and Baraga in 2002.
"We take this around the state in the hopes that we can
remind folks of the sacrifices that were made by the men and
women on this wall," said Vietnam Veterans of America
representative, Patrick Daniels.
They also have books filled with biographies and photos of
fallen soldiers. "We're bringing back of a lot of
memories for
the veterans who walked by and seen it (the wall)and then go to the
books, and they'll look for their classmates and people they
were in the service with," said USAF volunteer, Charlie
Babcock.
"The wall means a lot of different things to a lot of
different people, and we hope to impact people and
memorialize and educate our children and let them know
freedom isn't free," said Wall advocate, Paul Walker. |
