Vietnam
Memorial Wall Came to Quasqueton
Iowans had a special opportunity to honor
Vietnam War veterans on Memorial Day weekend when the Moving Wall, a
half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veteran memorial, came to Quasqueton.
The 253 foot-long Moving Wall, which lists the name of the
approximately 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War, was set up on
the baseball field in Quasqueton from May 28 through June 2. One
hundred thirty-five flags including the 50 states and the countries
that also fought in the Vietnam War were on display.
An opening ceremony was held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 28.
On Saturday, May 29, John Steer
of Winter Haven, Florida, who lost an arm in the Vietnam War, was the
keynote speaker at a memorial service at 10 a.m.
Visitors were able to view the wall and locate the names of Vietnam War
dead at their own pace throughout the wall’s stay in Quasqueton.
Doug Franck and LeRoy Olsen, members of the Cedar Rock Post 434 of the
American Legion in Quasqueton, coordinated the effort to bring the
Moving Wall to the area.
Franck said a committee raised $6,000 to cover the costs for the wall’s
stay in Quasqueton.
Individuals and members of local Legion, VFW and Knights of Columbus
units provided a round-the-clock honor guard during the Moving Wall’s
stay.
The Moving Wall was conceived by John Devitt, a former helicopter door
gunner and Army Veteran, after his 1982 visit to Washington, D.C, for
the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Devitt and his friends built a replica of the Wall in Washington which
could travel across the country, so that everyone who couldn’t visit
the Wall could share the experience and emotion which it evokes.
The first Moving Wall was built of plexiglas, with each name
silk-screened onto the panels.
In its present form, the third generation, the Moving Wall consists of
aluminum panels.
The Moving Wall, first displayed in 1984 in Texas, has been viewed by
millions of visitors on its annual tours, which included Anamosa last
year.
Information regarding this year's Moving Wall schedule may be found at http://www.themovingwall.org/skeds/04/schedule04.htm.
Directions to visit the Moving
Wall in Quasqueton, Iowa. View the opening ceremony
program. View the closing ceremony
program.
Created By: Courtney
Ford
East Buchanan Community School Tech Team
Return to Quasqueton
Community Home Page.