Moving Vietnam Wall comes to Spokane area

Moving Wall coming to Liberty Lake in September

The Moving Wall, a half-size traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be on display at Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park. Access is free and it can be visited from Thursday, Sept. 15 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 19.

It will be hosted by The Gallant Guards of Liberty, an organization comprised of veterans, family, and friends of veterans, in cooperation with the City of Liberty Lake.

The Moving Wall serves as a tribute to the more than 58, 281 brave and courageous fallen heroes, men, and women, who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War, which remains one of the most regretful and challenging times in America’s history and one we will never forget.

It provides residents of Liberty Lake and surrounding communities the opportunity to honor and remember those who sacrificed it all and the impact of those sacrifices on those who returned home.

The Gallant Guards of Liberty and the City of Liberty Lake wish to remind all who share in the experience to never forget that freedom is not free and there are those military members of all branches of the United States Armed Forces who continue to protect those freedoms whether at home or abroad.

The Moving Wall was devised by John Devitt after he attended the 1982 annual commemoration ceremonies celebrated in Washington, D.C., for Vietnam veterans. He felt that he needed to share his experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go there.

Devitt, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver, and other Vietnam veterans volunteered to build the Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas, in October 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the United States from April through November, spending five or six days at each site.

Veterans' organizations contact his company, Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd., to arrange local visits.

On its visits, the Moving Wall is often escorted by state troopers or volunteer organizations such as the Combat Vet Riders and the Patriot Guard Riders, who accompany the memorial on motorcycles. The first Moving Wall structure to retire has been on permanent display at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in Pittsburg, Kansas since 2004.

For more information

about The Moving Wall and the Vietnam veterans it honors please visit www.gallantguards.com.

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Robert C. “Maverick” Anderson, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, visited the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall in June at West Palm Beach, Fla., to see the name of a deceased friend and honor others who served. The exhibit will be coming to Liberty Lake in September.

Information provided by The Gallant Guards of Liberty.