Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall

Llynn

Llynn

Non-ranked Constituent
Location
Pacific NorthWET
I had no idea the Traveling Wall was coming to my closest town today. My barber is across the street from City Hall and that's where all the hubbub was. I had to park a few blocks away and walk to my barbers.

I was wearing my Navy Vietnam Veteran cap and as I passed gang of gradeschool kids waving flags their teacher grabbed me and wanted me to meet her students. It was mostly girls who came up to shake my hand, the boys were too busy being cool I guess.

It was fun being their "real live tamed Vietnam Relic" for a few minutes. Most of the kids were really nice and the teacher was charming. A few older folks thanked me for my service. I was surprised not to see anyone from the VFW or American Legion hanging around but then they could have somewhere else in town. Traffic in town was certainly a mess.
 

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When my youngest two boys were nine and 12, we went to Washington DC for a week and visited the Vietnam memorial wall. My junior high teacher was drafted and died in Vietnam. I never forgot his name as he was extremely well liked and a great teacher. My husband was eight years older than me and was in Vietnam, so it was an emotional experience for him too.
 
I've visited the Wall in DC. I found the names of several school chums and one shipmate who later became a Corpsman with the Marines. There were a lot of folks excited about seeing this exhibit in this small town. Certainly more welcoming than folks were when we actually came home back "long time gone"..
 

I've only seen the traveling wall-- sometime in the '80's. The people I knew who went came back-- a couple didn't last long after though. Means something to me, but no matter what it's once, twice removed. I wasn't there--and am damn grateful.
 
Vietnam was current events when I was in school, my uncle was serving on the ground as a Marine. I still get teared up and ANGERY when I recall him getting spit on at Laguardia airport went we went to pick him up. I have been to the Wall several times, rode a few times with Rolling Thunder, and have helped escort the traveling wall here 3 times now.
 
I also was honored to visit the traveling wall when it came to my county some years back. That was when I still lived in PA.

My son’s father and one of his brothers are both Nam vets.
 

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