By Jacob Swiecicki, Staff Reporter.
Veterans, families, and friends gathered in Auburn this weekend to honor the ultimate sacrifice at the Vietnam veteran Moving Wall. The original Vietnam memorial that resides in Washington D.C. was created in 1982 and is 493.5 feet in length.
“It’s an honor to be here for my fallen brothers,” said Sergeant Wendy Gilbert, a member of the security team. “It’s important to show our history, it’s part of who we are as a country.”
According to www.Auburnmi.org, the Moving Wall is made of 74 aluminum panels that are sprayed with a polyurethane coating and is 253 feet long when assembled.
Citizens were welcome at Auburn City Park in Auburn, Mich. from Sept. 4-8 to honor the 58,249 soldiers that were either killed or missing in action in Vietnam during 1959 through 1975. Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd., a Michigan company, owns the replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. They send The Moving Wall around the country to areas that are able to raise the necessary donations for transportation. According to Mlive coverage of the event, between 11,000 and 12,000 dollars were raised by various groups, the largest contributors being Dow Corning and Labadie Auto Company.
When asked why he was in attendance, John Ivey, an Army Combat Engineer from 1966-1968, said “To pay respect to these soldiers and so the children can see where their freedoms come from.” Ivey added that he attended school with several of the names on the wall. Resources were in place to provide paper to sketch the names of passed loved ones and books that helped locate the names of veterans.
“I want to show people where their taxes went and what their family and friends used in Vietnam. Many people don’t understand what these soldiers went through” said Ronald Tigner, a veteran and volunteer. Tigner travels around to various events and showcases military equipment. “It’s important to remember the costs of our wars.” added Tigner.
For those who missed The Moving Wall in Auburn, there will be the Michigan Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial in Sanford, September 14-15. The Wall will arrive at the Sanford American Legion around 10:30 a.m. and be on display until 5 p.m. For information on The Moving Wall go to www.themovingwall.org
