Friday, June 25, 1999
Vietnam Memorial Wall brings back memories
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — Steve Grimes hasn't seen the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall yet, but just the anticipation of visiting it this weekend stirred up a powerful array of memories and emotions.
“I lost two high school buddies and a friend who was a pilot in that war,” said Mr. Grimes, 52, who served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam 1967-1970.
“I want to find their names, touch them,” he said, choked up. “I get chills when I talk about it...well up.”
The Wall That Heals will be on display 10 a.m.-10 p.m. today and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Woodside Cemetery Association, 1401 Woodside Boulevard, said Fred Wehr, general manager. The wall is just inside the gate in front of the War Memorial Chapel.
A ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, said Krista Katona Pille, manager of public relations for Time Warner Cable, which along with Turner Network Television brought the wall to Middletown.
“There are a large number of Vietnam veterans and veterans in general in Middletown,” Ms. Pille said. “Woodside Cemetery is beautiful, has a large veterans section and a lot of veterans buried there. We just thought it would be the perfect spot.”
The 248-foot-wide wall is a 1/2-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It's touring the country and beyond to educate young people about the Viet nam experience and pay tribute to veterans of all wars, said Linda Anderson, who with her husband, John, a Vietnam veteran, is a wall site manager. It's sponsored by the non-profit Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
The wall has the names of 58,214 veterans who died in the war or are missing in action, including about 100 from Butler and Warren counties.
More than 1 million people have visited the wall, which the Andersons take to about 45 cities annually. It's been in almost every state and Ireland since the tour began in October1996. This is one of a handful of visits to the Tristate.
Tents on site have computers and books to help visitors find names. A traveling museum features items visitors have left at the wall in Washington.
About 600 people braved the rain and wind Thursday to visit the wall in Middletown. Thousands of Tristate residents are expected this weekend, Mrs. Anderson said.
IF YOU GO
The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, called “The Wall That Heals” will be on display 10 a.m.-10 p.m. today and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Woodside Cemetery Association, 1401 Woodside Boulevard.
A ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the wall, just inside the gate in front of the War Memorial Chapel.
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