Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica comes to the Valley

June 2, 2006

By CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Tears gently streamed down the faces of several visitors to The Moving Wall Thursday at Wasilla High School, an event that opened up scars that had taken years to heal.

The Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, officially was welcomed to Wasilla by Bob Moore, president of the Alaska Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and by honored guests including former Gov. Tony Knowles, himself a charter member of the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.

&#8220What a great tribute to our fallen brothers,” Moore told the crowd Thursday afternoon. &#8220The listings appear chaotic, just like the war.”

The replica will be at WHS, on Veterans Memorial Field fittingly enough, through Monday night. The names of more than 58,000 soldiers that appear on The Moving Wall - which are arranged according to the date they were listed as killed or missing - will be read around the clock, nonstop, by community volunteers in a Debt of Honor ceremony.

&#8220I had people tell me, Bob, I don't know if I can do it, but I'll try. I'll try,” Moore said, referring to the emotion felt by many visitors.

Knowles said the reading of the names in the Debt of Honor ceremony will resonate through the community.

&#8220Those names will be the most important words people will hear today,” Knowles said. &#8220Those words are messages of love, honor, and the welcoming home.”

Knowles said that the wall is a lasting tribute to those who served their country in what is one of the most controversial times in history.

&#8220It's a remarkable and living agent of healing and comfort, as it rekindles the honor of all those who served,” Knowles said. &#8220After the last bullet was fired, it was up to those who served to welcome each other home. Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”

This isn't the first time The Moving Wall came to Alaska - that was in 1985, just after the project was formed.

In Washington, D.C., the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited sites. On Monday, the names of four soldiers were added to the monument, bringing the total to 58,253.

During the design and construction of the memorial, controversy surrounded it - much like the war itself.

&#8220It was a sad war, a war that won't go away, a war that is still debated today,” Moore said.

The names will be read through Sunday at 11 a.m., when a community celebration is planned at Wasilla High School until 3 p.m. The Debt of Honor then will resume and continue until late Monday night, when all the names are expected to have been read. People can visit The Moving Wall at Wasilla High School at any time through Monday night.