"IN HONOR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND OF THOSE WHO REMAIN MISSING ARE INSCRIBED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE TAKEN FROM US." Preamble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
If anyone has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, then they know the impact the black granite panels filled with the names of 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War. One such person who felt this emotional effect was veteran John Devitt, who visited the memorial in 1982. He pledged that he would find a way to allow everyone to experience the positive power of the memorial, even those who couldn’t travel to DC. “The Moving Wall,” a half-size replica of the original, was completed in 1984 and has been touring the United States ever since.
The “Moving Wall” has visited over 1,000 towns since its conception. Next month’s stop in Harbinger’s Sound Park is made possible by the American Legion Post 288 and the County of Currituck. The wall will be open for public viewing daily free of charge from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 pm. Parking on site will also be provided. An opening ceremony for the memorial will be held Thursday, October 14, starting at 6:00 p.m. The five-day visit of the monument will culminate with a closing ceremony on Monday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m.
The Third Annual Wreath Ride hosted by the Sgt. Mac Memorial Foundation will be held in conjunction with the Moving Wall’s visit on October 16th. To register for the Wreath Ride, go to www.sgtmac.org.
To volunteer, or for more information about “The Moving Wall,” call the Currituck County Tourism Department at 252-435-2947 or e-mail info@visitcurrituck.com. Sound Park is located at 8955 Caratoke Hwy., Harbinger, NC just north of the Wright Memorial Bridge.