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Vietnam Veterans Memorial traveling wall: History reflected
Posted November 11, 2011 at 20:08 in clips
Happy Veterans Day, everyone. Thank you for your service and sacrifice!
April Dudash
Staff writer, The Fayetteville Observer
“I’m finding too many of them.”
Moments before, Vietnam veteran Tom Swist ran his finger over the etched words “Eugene Hill,” the name of an Army buddy from basic training forever marked on the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.
Swist had visited the larger Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. before, a trip that surfaced powerful emotions and tears from within, but Sunday outside the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, Swist had another chance to say goodbye.
“The Moving Wall” is half the size of the original, but its significance remains. Until the end of Heroes Homecoming Nov. 14, families and veterans will have the chance to seek out the names of loved ones who gave their all.
Silence washed over the crowd of hundreds as the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 990 Color Guard marched by as opening ceremonies began. Veterans removed their hats stitched with unit insignia to reveal snowy hair.
Many were in their late teens when they first saw combat.
And inscribed on the panels, at least 25,000 of those killed and memorialized were 20 years old or younger. At least five were 16 years old.
The guest speaker, retired Army Lt. Col. and former prisoner of war Ray Schrump, walked to the podium and was immediately greeted with a standing ovation. After a couple beats, he began to pay homage to the 58,272 names.
Their sacrifices were not lost on Schrump, who had witnessed men die, and had one even die in his arms in war. He spent almost five years as a prisoner of war after being captured by the Viet Cong. Despite spending half of that time in isolation, and after being chained, starved and beaten, Schrump said he had no regrets and that his fellow soldiers never lost hope.
“Not one ever lost faith in our God, our country, or in you, our fellow men,” he said.
Jim Hollister also spoke to the crowd as president of the Rolling Thunder N.C. Chapter 1. The group of veterans and motorcycle riders will don their black leather vests, keep watch over the wall 24/7, and help visitors find names.
“I’m sure many of you who visit today, or visit this week, is going to go up to the wall, reach out and touch a name. It’s going to be hard,” Hollister said.
Families gathered around some of the dark panels, smoothed their fingers over the names and searched for a man or woman who now finds life through memories.
Other veterans stood alone in their thoughts, reading through names of friends, training classmates, brothers in arms.
Jean Williams walked hand-in-hand with her grandson, studying the panels.
“We’re looking for your grandpa’s name,” she said.
Williams was only 21 years old with a baby daughter when she lost her husband. He had only been to Vietnam for seven days when his helicopter was shot down by enemy fire.
She had sent him seven letters from home in Norfolk, Va.
“I got all my letters back,” she said. “He never had a chance to read it.”
Now, her grandson is named after him: Alan Brent Boffman.
“He’s never seen his name on the wall,” Williams said of her grandson. “Now, he’s beginning to understand what the war’s about and what soldiers do.”
Swist, a 65-year-old Lillington resident who served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade “Sky Soldiers” in Vietnam, saw many fellow 19-year-olds turn from boys to men. He watched as other families took black wax crayons and made tracings.
“You’re carrying it with you forever,” Swist said. “You go to the wall, see it, and let it go. I don’t want ghosts.”
Walton carried a silver bracelet on his wrist. It read:
SFC LEWIS C. WALTON
USSF 10 MAY 71 LAOS
The Special Forces sergeant and Swist were drinking buddies. Mischief makers. He died in Vietnam.
After he and his wife found Walton’s name on the wall, Swist removed his bracelet and gave it away.
“I found him,” Swist said.
“I don’t have to carry this no more.”