The Wall - American Veterans Traveling Tribute

At Tom Brown Park - today! , If you haven't been there yet, I recommend you go today. Closing ceremonies are tonight at 7pm I believe.

I wrote a FB post this morning. Here it is.
My feet are wet from the dew covered grass but I am grateful, humbled, and stand in reverent awe of over 58,000 names on the wall in front of me. It's a cool, damp morning as I visited "The Wall - American Veterans Traveling Tribute" which includes an 80% scale model of the Vietnam Veterans memorial current visiting Tallahassee. Pausing briefing every couple panels, looking at the names and reflec...ting, praying - the vast number of names washed over me in silence.

I have been to The Wall in DC numerous times - each time left speechless of the faceless names on the wall, someone's son or daughter, quite possibly having left a spouse and kids behind. Thousands of flag-draped caskets, thousands of funerals, thousands of shattered lives. Visiting the exhibit this morning on my way to work, not really knowing what to expect, again I was silenced. Opposite the "The Wall" in Tallahassee is a memorial of dog tags of those who lost their lives in the Global War on Terror. The last name listed was from June 2014. So many have taken up the call from every nationality and fought together, side-by-side as brothers in arms. My heart is sadden, but grateful that so many young men and women have taken up the call to defend this country - even being willing to serve in far away lands not questioning, just serving to their last, finishing strong to the end. My deepest thank you to all who have served and to the families of those who were left behind.

Frank B. Westerfield was my wife's Uncle, just one name on the wall. As I was leaving I shook the hand of my friend Johnny, a Vietnam Veteran volunteering for the day - a good guy - still serving his County and no doubt remembering old buddies. Thank you Veterans, may God richly bless you this week. Jim

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Originally Posted by JMW4570

Closing ceremonies are tonight at 7pm I believe.

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Well shit. I was going to go tomorrow............on Veteran's Day!

Well, maybe I heard the closing dates wrong.

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Originally Posted by JMW4570

Well, maybe I heard the closing dates wrong.

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I hope so.

Just checked the Vet Events Tally Website and they list this.

"Closing ceremony on Monday November 10th will honor our Gold Star families. Closing ceremonies will begin at 6:00 pm."

The visit to the dog tags of those lost in Iraq and Afghanistan was a bit much for me. I did not know any of those who died personally, however I am sure some of my friends here and elsewhere did.

I don't feel proud or worthy of the sacrifice they made, I feel like I let them down. All I can say is I am deeply saddened and I resolve to not let it happen again.

Thanks Jim! Like Scott I was planning to go on Veterans Day. I would have missed it. I went after work today. It was much more moving than I anticipated! I left with a lump in my throat. Like Dale mentioned, the dog tag display for the war on terror was as moving as the wall itself.

I've seen this one before. It's moving, but not nearly so surreal as the one in DC. My father and mother both have friends on the wall.

Damn I thought it would be still be there tomorrow. I'm sorry I missed it.

Damn. I was thinking it would be here tomorrow so I was going to visit it. And then when I was reading about tbe dog tags. I was gonna try to find my two guys that got killed in Afghanistan that I useusers to drink with at the barracks. I'm pissed sith myself that I missed it now

I have been to the wall ever time I have the opportunity to and will continue to until I am no more.Several of these names were my childhood friends.We grew up together played football together an against each other in high school.We left together but did not come home together. I WILL NEVER FORGET!!! some I served with some I did not but I feel that it is the duty of the ones that came home to not forget.Such a waste of young lives for people who did not appreciate it.

I saw it in Baton Rouge in March 2013. Not sure if it is the same one or not. The local authorities should have done a better job of promoting it imho.

The wall is a surreal experience.

I haven't been able to bring myself to view the OEF/OIF monuments yet. My childhood friend William Lacey was the first US Army casualty in AFG in 2014. We always talked about our plans when we were kids, and we both agreed we would have kids at some point in our early 30's then die on a battlefield in our mid/late 30's. He did exactly that. Survivor's guilt is real. My dad knows all about it.