By: Cheryl Thurston
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The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall was on display at Middleton Park in Oak Island, NC for the holiday weekend, as part of the 50th anniversary tour. The Wall is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC; it stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.
The Traveling Memorial serves as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping to heal, rekindle friendships, and allow people the opportunity to visit, and view the names of lost loved ones, in their home town, (who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.) After July 6th, the Memorial moves on to Missouri for a showing on July 9th. Over the course of several days (Wednesday through Monday) while the Memorial was at Oak Island, there were more than 15,000 visitors to view the Wall.
The event at Oak Island was sponsored by a partnership between The Warrior Ride and the Patriot Guard Riders Motorcycle club. Gary Anderson, of the PRG, said of the display at Oak Island, “We had 145 motorcycles in our escort when we rode into Middleton Park, and the folks of the town lined the sides of Oak Island Drive as we rode by. We were so touched by the outpouring from the community.” The Warrior Ride, founded by the husband and wife team of Bob and Debra Racine, of Oak Island, in 2005, is an adaptive cycling program for combat wounded service members. Their motto is Warriors Helping Warriors.
A new seal was created for the 50th anniversary commemoration, incorporating the history of the Vietnam War. The goal of the History and Legacy effort is to provide the American public with historically accurate materials and interactive experiences that will help Americans better understand and appreciate the service of our Vietnam War veterans and the history of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/about/
You can read more about the history and objectives of the seal by clicking these links: http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/about/about_the_seal/ Project objectives poster: http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/assets/1/7/Vietnam_ObjectivesPoster_Final1.JPG
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