Florida VI

My last stop in Florida was in Pensacola.

 

Here, after a visit from the "Traveling Wall" vets decided they wanted a permanent memorial of their own. After a five year fund-raising campaign an exact replica of the "Wall" in D. C. was built in a small park, 5 and half acres on Bayfront Parkway, overlooking Pensacola Bay. A "Huey" was added to "watch over", as well as a statue of a child representing the children of Vietnam Veterans. Other memorials to other wars have been added or relocated to this site to make it truly a Veterans Memorial Park.

At one time, this was the only place other than on the Wall in DC that all 58,000 plus names of KIA/MIA's were listed. But, now, at least in Bozeman, Montana there is another replica containing all the names. It (Montana) is part of a site being built to honor all veterans at the Sunset Hills Cemetery.

As at other sites, people leave things at the Wall. These are collected and cataloged by volunteers. The Vietnam Veterans Wall South Foundation is very proud of the fact that not "one dime" of taxpayer money has been spent on upkeep or to maintain the site. Maintenance and upkeep of the park is the responsibility of the group and this calls for ongoing fund-raising and a continuous need for volunteers.

If you would like to help, they may be reached at;

Vietnam Veterans Wall South Foundation, P. O. Box 17886, Dept.W, Pensacola, Fl. 32522
There is a more complete telling of the story of Wall South and the man behind it at;

http://www.vietvet.org/collins.htm

The very last picture is self explanatory!