The Vietnam Wall Experience
(The Moving Wall)

A Report from the Webwench

Today we had the opportunity to pay our respects to those that gave all and are still giving at "The Vietnam Wall Experience", otherwise referred to as "The Moving Wall". "The Wall" was displayed in Green Acres Mortuary and Cemetery from April 19-21, 2002. Not quite sure what we expected but it was much larger then we anticipated and it's still just a scale model of the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Washington, DC. What a chore it must be to put up and take down the 240-ft replica. To assemble the entire wall with each individual panel and to place the many flags flying on top of the wall must take so much time. It was haunting to hear a sole woman’s voice echoing through the exhibit over a loud speaker reading the 58,219 names of the men and women inscribed on the granite wall. We were there for about an hour and a half. When we arrived the voice had just started the ‘H’s’ and when we left she was still on ‘H’ …so many lives lost. A "Dignity Memorial" was on display in the area of "The Wall". All mementos left at "The Wall" during the 3-day stay would be gathered after "The Wall" is taken down and placed in the special vault to be buried at Green Acres Memorial Gardens. The marker honoring this meaningful site says it all:

DIGNITY MEMORIAL
VIETNAM WALL EXPERIENCE
APRIL 19-21, 2002

EACH OF THESE ITEMS INTERRED HERE TELLS A STORY,
SACRIFICE IN SERVICE, REMEMBERED IN HONOR

Two years ago we went to Washington, DC to  "The Wall Memorial" and we were overcome with floods of emotion. "The Moving Wall" did not have the same effect but it was a bit UN-nerving to ride through the cemetery to leave. Thousands of small American Flags sprung from the landscape as they marked every serviceman’s grave. Below are a few pics we took to share with you.