North Carolina VIII

A couple of years ago, my friend Steve and I traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina to participate in and photograph a Vietnam Welcome Home event and over the next two posts I want to share some of what we saw and were part of in N.C.

The predominant feature was the large scale model of The Wall. Set in an open field with a sea of small flags in the front of it, it was , just like the one in D.C. visited, touched, photographed and wept at, by the many, many who came to visit. I do not know the total number of visitors, but I do know that they planned for a certain number of Vietnam vets and that they were way off in the estimations. Each Vietnam vet was given a challenge coin and several other items and mementos and when Steve and I registered we were told they were long gone. They promised to forward then when more copies were received and I am happy to say, they did so.

 Here is a slightly different view of this great presentation of The Wall.

I managed to catch this Docent helping a vet find a name. It is one of my favorite pictures

A grim reminder of what so many suffered was strategically placed in the middle of the flags. In a different building, not too far away, was a more detailed display and information on those held captive. I will post about that some time in the future.

This final picture shows the universal appeal of The Wall as a woman makes a rubbing of a name. I did not interrupt her or ask whom this might have been, these moments are just too personal.

I did think the little girl peeping out from behind her Mom was just too cute.

The rubbings that people make are an ongoing tribute to lost loved ones. So, too, are the many things that get left behind. There are buildings full of these offerings around the D.C. area full of the pieces of peoples lives that they choose to leave behind with their loved one at The Wall in D.C. and next time, on the 1st of April, I will share some of what was left at this brief visit of The Wall in North Carolina. So, as always, join me on the 1st at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from North Carolina, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

New York VI

The Kaisertown area of Buffalo honors the four locals who were lost in ‘Nam. This monument located in the Heroes Grove area of Stachowski-Houghton Park is one of the many remembrances here, and across the state.

These small memorials always amaze me because they are so personal. It is likely that those who designed and built them actually knew the people they honor, their brothers and sisters, cousins, friends, sons, daughters, husbands and wives. These memorial give real person-hood to those lost. 

The huge memorials list hundreds or thousands of names, mostly unknown to the builder and can be, as a result, less personal. I love then all, but these smaller ones always strike a nerve in me.

There may be somewhat less to photograph, but often the emotions are more overwhelming.

Next time, on the 27th, we will venture once again to North Carolina. Join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from New York, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

New Mexico VII

As promised in the last post from Springer (scroll back one post if you missed it) here are a few more pictures from this memorial.

I opened the last post with a picture of a bench/sign carved from a large log and the pictures today are also of wood, carved from a single tree trunk by the same artist.

The inside of the split branch contains two plaques. The first, pictured here is a dedication to all from the area who served in the listed wars. The second, not shown, is info about who sponsored the site etc.

You can see that this plaque has had some wear. It depicts an eagles head, a starred banner, a dedication to all veterans and a list of the wars in which they participated. It only goes back to WWI because New Mexico did not become a state until 1912, so the first war her citizens could participate was WWI.

On several other surfaces on the tree trunk are various inscriptions and pictures.

For anyone who may not know, the bottom flag is the New  Mexico state flag.

There is one additional wooden component but I will leave that until a future posting.

Next time, we will move on to New York , so join me there at 9:00am on the 22nd.

To see additional memorials from New Mexico, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

New Mexico VI

Springer, New Mexico lies about 60 miles east of the National Memorial in Angel Fire. This very small town has created a remarkable memorial site to all veterans. As of the 2010 census, a few more than 1000 people lived in and around the town.

Many memorials to our different involvements are under the roofed, fenced, area.

51 Vietnam vets are listed on the gray granite on the lawn of the former Colfax County Court House, which is now a museum.

There are several pieces here that honor our brothers and sisters and also an interesting POW memorial. I will spend more time on these in the next post.

So, to see more from this surprising site, join me on the 17th at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from New Mexico, or any other state, click the state name n ten left side of this page.

New Jersey VI

This  memorial was originally dedicated to WWII vets, but has been updated to include Korea and Vietnam. This is not unusual and seems to happen for a number of reasons. What is odd about this one is that upon its face it says Delaware Township, but a sign just a few feet away says Cherry Hill. I have no idea why this is so and have been unable, as so often happens to run down any explanations. So, as always, if you know something, I would love to hear from you.

It is interesting that the town lost no one in the Korean War, but included it as an honor to those who served. I have not seen this before.

Five from the area are forever remembered and honored here.

This memorial may be found near the corner of Mercer Street and Graham Ave.

Next time, on the 12th, we return to New Mexico to  visit a memorial there. Join me at 9:00am to honor some of those from Northern New Mexico who gave their all in Vietnam.

To see other memorials from New Jersey, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Nevada III

Henderson, Nevada is a town that sprang up during WWII to help with the war effort. Twenty five percent of all the Magnesium used by the War Department during WWII came from Henderson. Located some 15 miles south of Las Vegas It was a quick trip down to see The Wall that I had read about. Or, so it seemed.

My buddy Steve and I drove down and searched for quite some time, only to find road construction, dead ends and no memorial. I was pretty disappointed, but was finally forced to admit I was not going to find it. I figured that maybe all the construction in the area had displaced it, it has happened before.

While returning from other trips around the state, I decided to give it one more try, I really did not want to miss a memorial, if it was actually available. I called the City Hall and was told that the memorial was right on the grounds and that the first directions I had been using were wrong. So, we made it over and I am very glad we did. As you can see it is quite a memorial, a little off the beaten path, somewhat hidden by the building and some trees, but well worth the effort.

The memorial itself is made up of several walls, each honoring different groups of people. There are currently more than 1500 names of those who have served and/or were lost. there is a central fountain and several flags throughout the site.

There is a specific wall for KIAs, now numbering four, with way too much space, one hopes, for future additions.

I have mentioned on other posts that I am always pleased to see War Dogs remembered, as they are here.

As mentioned earlier the memorial is located at the Henderson City Hall, but is hard to see from the street. You can wander around the building and find it, but we walked in and were directed through the building, perhaps a little easier.

Next time, we will wander back across the country to New Jersey. So, please  join me there on the 7th, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Nevada, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.