'The Wall' honors Vietnam vets for 20 years

Air Force Link ^ | 11/07/02 | Unknown

[SAMWolf]

'The Wall' honors Vietnam vets for 20 years

Thousands will gather at the National Mall in the coming days to witness and participate in ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The weeklong remembrance began with a musical tribute to Vietnam veterans Nov. 6 and will end with a Veterans Day observance Nov. 11. In between, more than 1,000 volunteers will read the names inscribed on "The Wall," starting at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and ending at midnight Nov. 10.

It is only the third time in The Wall's history that all 58,229 names will be read aloud. Volunteers, each reciting an average of 30 names, will read for about 19 hours each day Nov. 8-10. The full list of names was read in 1982 as part of the memorial's dedication and again in 1992 during activities commemorating the memorial's 10th anniversary.

Master Sgt. Angeline Robinson, the Pentagon's vice president of the Washington Area Top 3, will attend a reading for the second time, although this will be her first as a participant. She attended The Wall's 10th anniversary reading, and obtained a "wall rubbing" on behalf of her boss at the time, Adm. David E. Jeremiah, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The name of Jeremiah's nephew was one of those being read.

"When I remembered that, this year's reading became very significant to me," she said. "I decided to participate because it's a way to honor those who went before us."

Thirty-four Air Force members from the Washington Area Top 3 will read 540 names, beginning at 11:24 p.m. Nov. 8.

"It's a way for us to give back," Robinson said. "It's as simple as that."

For some, though, the symbolism of reading the names on The Wall goes deeper. One of those is Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American who was once jailed by the North Vietnamese, later served as a South Vietnamese Army officer, and currently works at the Pentagon on the Air Force Chief Information Officer's staff.

"Each year (on Veterans Day), I have a need to express my gratitude to all American veterans in general, all the Vietnam veterans in particular, and to the more than 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for their sacrifices to defend the freedom of a people in a place they hardly knew," Nguyen said. "(And it's) not just me alone. Overseas, Vietnamese are forever grateful for those sacrifices."

For more information on the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Web site

[SAMWolf]

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[wimpycat]

Poor kid! The vast majority of our combat veterans were just kids at the time, but they sure grew up fast. The ones who didn't make it will always be young.

My daddy just missed out on Korea; he joined the Air Force in 1954 for a four-year stint, spent mostly in France and Germany, fueling aircraft and basically having fun.

One of his uncles was at Pearl Harbor on that fateful December 7th, and he also survived the battle of Midway, I believe it was, as well as several other battles. He's still alive, too, God love him.

My brother-in-law Brad is a Marine and a Gulf War combat veteran. He's now a recruiter, and apparently is regularly exceeding his quota.

[wimpycat]

Thanks, but as I said, I never knew him. His mother, my great-aunt, died a couple of years ago, and our greatest comfort was knowing she was with him again at last.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

And
Welcome Home Brother
to you also.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Thanks

[MistyCA]

Mash this

[My back yard]

Thanks for the ping here. I was fortunate to visit the traveling wall about 12 yrs ago when it was in Houston. When it got dark I slipped on a puddle, wearing sandles, that had glass in it and sliced my foot open. There was a simulation MASH-type unit nearby and they came to my aid - cleaned the cut and applied butterfly bandages. Wonderful guys. Other than the injury it was a beautiful day I will always remember. Very touching and somber experience. God bless our veterans.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Misty. Good song.

[CIB-173RDABN]

"...written on the back of a K-ration box."

---

Hi Wimpycat,

It would be more likely the top of a C Ration box. Stationary was hard to come by. I am not sure how it was with other outfits but the patrols I went on were generally 25 to 30 days at a time. Somewhere along the line, a law was passed that allowed us to write home for free, the only problem was nothing to write on. It was not that hard to see that the top of a C ration box was about the same size as a post card. I wrote many a letters home that way.

Every veteran's memories will of course be different, both because of their own view of things, but the conflict itself changed over the years.

I consider myself lucky that I was part of the early time (1965 to 1966), when both sides were feeling each out.

I was not trained in jungle warfare because even then the real enemy was thought to be the Soviet Union, and the real war when it was to be fought would be in Europe.

My younger brother went over in 1969, and although he survived the war physically, he was not able to readjust upon returning home. He led a self distructive life, and he died before he was 40. In some ways I feel his name should also be on the wall.

It may still be too soon to know what the full purpose and affect the war had on world events, but I am of the belief that it (and Korea, and for the Soviets Afganistan)allowed the two super powers to fight without it becoming WWIII.

It is a good thing these young men and women will not be forgotten, even after we and the memory of us have been forgotten.

[MistyCA]

Thanks so much for visiting us here! The first time the Wall was in our town we did not go to see it. I think both my husband and I knew that the wounds were too fresh...still....even after all those years. But this last time he was working with the people who were instrumental in bringing it in again. I am so thankful that he was finally able to confront the demons of the past and make peace for the future. Our vets need to know they have places to go and people who care. So many have not yet figured that out. Thank goodness we have forums like this one to help.

[SAMWolf]

Sorry to hear about your brother.

I was there in 1969-70. When my Amvets post got together and we'd "make cow widows" about the time we were there we found that depending on when,where and what service you were in we all fought a different war.

I never saw a jungle, only rubber plantations.

[MistyCA]

Thanks Sam. :)

[Libertina]

Thank you, SamWolf, for putting up this thread.
Heartfelt thank you to our Veterans

[MistyCA]

I am sorry about your brother. I know what you mean about his name belonging on the wall. I think there are many people who returned in body but never regained their soul. They were so young. And they came back to such adversity. An important part of their being was stolen from them and no one was willing to go to battle to help it be regained again. We can never make that right. Yes, they should be memorialized for their efforts. May the good Lord bless and keep your brother's soul.

[SAMWolf]

You're welcome Libertina.
Hard to believe its been 20 years.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Thank you.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Viet Nam was so new when I went over, I did not have any preconcieved ideas, I can only imagine what it was like for those that came later, after having seen the war through the filter of the bias reporting.

You are right, the war was a different experience depending on when you were there.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good song, Misty.

[MistyCA]

My husband was there around the time you were. He was in Bien Hoa (sp?) as an Air Policeman guarding the planes. It is chilling that he still awakes in the night and looks into the sky and complains about his feet being wet. It is as real as though it were yesterday, although he is completely unaware that it happens. It brings such deep sadness to my heart to know how deep the wounds are.