"The Traveling Wall is in Modesto, CA this weekend."When the traveling Wall came to Waseca, MN a few years ago, my husband and I went to visit it. The experience was SO MOVING, and the depth of the feeling was so rich (there were benches placed nearby. All of them had at least one veteran, just sitting, some weeping, some just staring at the wall) that it was overwhelming. In deep grief, I found the name of the young brother-in-law I had never met, killed when his chopper was shot down.
It is very hard to describe the sorrow that envelops one when they walk along that wall. If the replica evokes this kind of feeling, I can't even imagine the anguish and grief that would be experienced at the original Wall.
God bless EVERY person represented on that wall, and God bless all who have served anywhere, those who are presently serving, and those who are yet to serve. We are FOREVER in your debt. Pray for us.
Since 1959 when the United states officially entered the Vietnam war approximately 40,000 Canadians voluntarily joined and served beside their brothers and sisters from the United States in all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Who can explain as to why they volunteered to serve in Vietnam. Perhaps it was because they believed in the right to choose, the right to liberty, the right of unrestrictiveness and privilege. Maybe they believed in Freedom and chose to fight for it. Sometimes we take what we have for granted, for those of us who enjoy freedom on an every day basis, we have those who fought for it to thank.
There are Fifty Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Nine ( 58,209 ) names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., one hundred and three (103) of those names are of known Canadians who served and did not return from the Vietnam war. Although these Veterans where honored along with their fellow brothers and sisters from the United States they were never recognized by their own country, Canada.
For over a century Canada and the United States have stood side by side not only as neighbours, but as one when it came to the freedom that both countries cherish. There are several Vietnam Veterans Memorial's located in Canada and in no way do we wish to diminish the importance of any of these memorials.
The significance of the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, is that a small group in Michigan U.S.A. called M.A.C.V. (Michigan Association of Concerned Veterans), felt that their Canadian brothers and sisters, who gave their lives for the lives of others deserved to be recognized and accounted for, at home in Canada. This small group of Veterans proceeded to make this dream a reality, They fought through the many hardships that comes with caring, they designed, built, and donated the memorial to be placed on Canadian soil, making this Memorial very special to the families of those who gave their lives for the freedom of others.
LARRY DU WAYNE JOHNSON was born on October 31, 1951 and joined the Armed Forces while in PROVO, UT.
He served as a 67A1F in the Army, and attained the rank of SP4/E4.
On July 22, 1970, at the age of 18, LARRY DU WAYNE JOHNSON perished in the service of our country in South Vietnam, Phuoc Long.
You can find LARRY DU WAYNE JOHNSON honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 8W, Row 42.This is my young brother-in-law. This little profile doesn't tell you that he left a young wife and two small daughters, or that Larry and Linda were childhood sweethearts. It doesn't tell you that he and his wife were distant cousins. I am determined to honor this young man. With the exception of his parents, spouse and children and siblings, I don't think anyone has given him personal, individual honor for his service since the day the flag was presented to Linda and the casket was lowered into the ground. We all honor all our fallen heroes, but it would take forever to give each of them the recognition he deserves, so we usually honor them as a group of whatever size. For this reason, I post this information here, so you all can know that Larry has never been forgotten.