The Vietnam War Memorial Wall Came to Central Texas

The Dignity Memorial® Vietnam Wall™, a 3/4 scale replica of the Vietnam War Memorial, came to the Texas Veteran's Cemetary. It arrived on May 17 and was assembled. It opened to the public from Friday, May 18, through Monday, May 21, 2007. I have attached two photos from the The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall's web site showing how the Wall is assembled, along with one showing the wall after it is assembled.

My family and I went on Sunday afternoon. Our children were amazed that there are over 58,000 names of soldiers who died in Vietnam, or as a result of wounds they suffered in Vietnam, appear on the Wall. What followed was a long discussion about the Vietnam War, including the history starting from the Eisenhower Presidency through the Nixon Presidency, the effect on a whole generation of American young men and women, the military draft and the Federal government's failure to provide timely help for Agent Orange exposure and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

I was amazed at the tremendous lack of respect shown by the visitors. Here in central Texas, men routinely take off their hats when the Amreican Flag is presented or passes in a parade. However, in total disregard of the signs indicating the need for respect, very very few men took of their hats. I wonder if it results from lingering resentment over the Vietnam War itself.

The last photograph is from the National Parks website. It shows the actual Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC.