Memorial to Vietnam vets comes to Valley

The calendar may show that Memorial Day is behind us, but a very special memorial event is set to begin in Wasilla on Thursday. Valley residents, who host one of the country's larger per capita populations of Vietnam veterans, will have an opportunity to pay tribute to those who served in the Vietnam conflict.

The Moving Wall, a traveling half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will make a six-day stop in Wasilla. Interested residents will find it at Wasilla High School through June 6, on the football field, which is appropriately named Veterans Memorial Field.

Those who have seen the original wall monument in Washington can attest to its power. It is a fitting tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in an unpopular war in a faraway land. It is also a stark and humble reminder of the sheer enormity of those sacrifices.

This week, Valley residents are privileged to be able to share in the experience of the wall and pay further tribute to our Vietnam veterans. The Moving Wall's stop in Wasilla is part of a perpetual national tour. It has been traveling the country for almost 20 years.

According to information posted at www.themovingwall.org, the idea for The Moving Wall was born when veteran John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication of the original monument in Washington. That event made him vow to share the experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.

Along with two other vets, Devitt built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas, in October 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the country from April through November, spending about a week at each site.

In addition to the public display of the memorial, the Alaska chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America has organized the &#8220Debt of Honor,” which is the reading of all 58,195 names on the wall of men and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam war. The roll call will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday and continue 24 hours a day, with one small break, until June 6.

It will take nearly five full days of constant reading to mention every name. The only recess in reading comes at 11 a.m. on June 4, when a community picnic and ceremonies are scheduled for four hours. The reading of the names continues at 3 p.m. that day.

It is an honor to welcome The Moving Wall to our community. We encourage all our readers and their families to share in the experience of this powerful reminder of the price of our freedoms.