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Thread: The Wall - American Veterans Traveling Tribute

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  1. #1
    Graduate JMW4570's Avatar
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    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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    CCGF Grammar Nazi Tack Driver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMW4570 View Post
    Closing ceremonies are tonight at 7pm I believe.
    Well shit. I was going to go tomorrow............on Veteran's Day!
    "It does not take a majority to prevail, but a tireless minority keen to setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Father of Our Revolution, Samuel Adams.

    I may be found dead in a ditch, but by God, they will find me and my rights in a PILE of brass.

    "Sure you can trust our government. Just ask an Indian."

    "Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of Justice is no virtue." - Barry Goldwater




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    Graduate JMW4570's Avatar
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    Well, maybe I heard the closing dates wrong.
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    CCGF Grammar Nazi Tack Driver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMW4570 View Post
    Well, maybe I heard the closing dates wrong.
    I hope so.
    "It does not take a majority to prevail, but a tireless minority keen to setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Father of Our Revolution, Samuel Adams.

    I may be found dead in a ditch, but by God, they will find me and my rights in a PILE of brass.

    "Sure you can trust our government. Just ask an Indian."

    "Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of Justice is no virtue." - Barry Goldwater




  5. #5
    Graduate JMW4570's Avatar
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    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."
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    CCGF Depository Dale Gribble's Avatar
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    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.
    When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.

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    Graduate thedishdoc's Avatar
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    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.
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    "We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours." - George S. Patton

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    GFUF Groundhog mattb's Avatar
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    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.
    I’m an engineer. To save us both time, let’s just assume I’m not wrong.

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    Lottery John YankeeFingergasm's Avatar
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    Damn I thought it would be still be there tomorrow. I'm sorry I missed it.
    You gonna bark all day little doggy or you gonna bite?

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    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

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