Veterans moved by visitors' response
Hundreds of people attend closing ceremony on Sunday.
By Jeff Murray
Chuck Slater of Elmira has seen the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
He also saw a traveling replica of that wall when it appeared in Waverly.
But Slater was still moved to see the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall -- a three- quarter-scale traveling replica of the Washington memorial -- come to Eldridge Park in Elmira this past week.
What impressed Slater more than anything was the community response to the wall, which arrived in town early last week and was officially open to the public from Friday through Sunday.
"I think it was great. The thing that really got me was the outcome of people who came to see the wall," said Slater, who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army in 1967 and '68. "They hugged us veterans, thanked us and shook our hands. It was overwhelming. Everything was just great."
Slater was among several hundred people who turned out Sunday for a formal closing. The exhibit, which contains the names of 58,000 men and women killed or missing in action in Vietnam, now heads on to Louisville.
Elmira is one of 20 hosts of the memorial this year, said Daniel Simons, event chairman and manager of the James D. Barrett Funeral Home in Elmira, the local sponsor.
It took months of planning to bring the wall here, but it was well worth the effort, Simons said.
"The response from the community has been overwhelming. The gratitude of the veterans has been just as overwhelming," Simons said. "We were the only one in New York state this year, and we're glad to be able to bring it here."
It took about 150 volunteers to pull off the local display of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, Simons said.
Items left at the wall during its Elmira stop will be collected in a vault that will later be buried in the park with a special marker.
People who turned out for Sunday's closing ceremony included Vietnam veterans, people who lost friends or family members in the war, and folks who were just curious about a piece of history.
"My kids are in Boy Scouts and they are into that and we wanted them to see it," said Lisa Craig of Lansing. "It's pretty awesome. I think my husband found his uncle's name."
Visiting the wall was an emotional experience for James Clark of Wellsburg, who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marines in 1968 and '69.
"I think it was a good idea to have it come here. It probably helped some of the vets to get healed," Clark said. "I think it helped me some. Mike Barnes and I graduated together. He was in 'Nam for two days and stepped on a mine. It choked me up when I saw (his name.) I still miss him."
Source: StarGazetteNews.com
Hundreds of people attend closing ceremony on Sunday.
By Jeff Murray
Chuck Slater of Elmira has seen the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
He also saw a traveling replica of that wall when it appeared in Waverly.
But Slater was still moved to see the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall -- a three- quarter-scale traveling replica of the Washington memorial -- come to Eldridge Park in Elmira this past week.
What impressed Slater more than anything was the community response to the wall, which arrived in town early last week and was officially open to the public from Friday through Sunday.
"I think it was great. The thing that really got me was the outcome of people who came to see the wall," said Slater, who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army in 1967 and '68. "They hugged us veterans, thanked us and shook our hands. It was overwhelming. Everything was just great."
Slater was among several hundred people who turned out Sunday for a formal closing. The exhibit, which contains the names of 58,000 men and women killed or missing in action in Vietnam, now heads on to Louisville.
Elmira is one of 20 hosts of the memorial this year, said Daniel Simons, event chairman and manager of the James D. Barrett Funeral Home in Elmira, the local sponsor.
It took months of planning to bring the wall here, but it was well worth the effort, Simons said.
"The response from the community has been overwhelming. The gratitude of the veterans has been just as overwhelming," Simons said. "We were the only one in New York state this year, and we're glad to be able to bring it here."
It took about 150 volunteers to pull off the local display of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, Simons said.
Items left at the wall during its Elmira stop will be collected in a vault that will later be buried in the park with a special marker.
People who turned out for Sunday's closing ceremony included Vietnam veterans, people who lost friends or family members in the war, and folks who were just curious about a piece of history.
"My kids are in Boy Scouts and they are into that and we wanted them to see it," said Lisa Craig of Lansing. "It's pretty awesome. I think my husband found his uncle's name."
Visiting the wall was an emotional experience for James Clark of Wellsburg, who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marines in 1968 and '69.
"I think it was a good idea to have it come here. It probably helped some of the vets to get healed," Clark said. "I think it helped me some. Mike Barnes and I graduated together. He was in 'Nam for two days and stepped on a mine. It choked me up when I saw (his name.) I still miss him."
Source: StarGazetteNews.com
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