Vermont

The story of the memorial for the state of Vermont has some unusual twists and turns in the telling.

Thought by many to be the first State sponsored site it nearly was lost forever. Built at a rest area on Interstate 89, Vietnam Veteran's memorial Highway, about 138 miles from the Canadian border. The site struck a nerve as 138 of Vermont's citizens were lost in the war. Their names are listed on the granite monument on site. The area is also reminiscent of Vietnam's highlands and felt familiar to many. Interstate 89 is also the road to the Veteran's Hospital in White river Junction and was often traveled by vets and their families.

The site was dedicated two weeks before the Wall in D. C. and by the mid 90's the facilities were failing. The Sharon rest area, and others, were slated for closure. The memorial would be lost.

Vietnam Veterans of America, Vermont Chapter, vets, and many others fought to keep the site open. The government listened and pledged to keep the memorial open. Working with the vets a new center was designed and built, and opened in 2005. A unique feature of the new site is its geothermal heating and cooling system. Visitors can walk through this "Living Machine" and see it at work and admire the many beautiful and exotic plants that flourish inside the greenhouse structure. The last photo is from the inside of the "Living Machine"

Inside the new visitors center one can view many photos from 'Nam, see the names of all who served (7,236) and visit a small museum of artifacts gathered over time. A triple time-line listing National, Vermont, and War events helps tell the story.

Described as a place "To Grieve, To Honor and To Learn" the center is a magnificent tribute to those who served.

Gold Star Mother Louise Ransom said the following at the initial dedication on October 30, 1982

"We will remember how they
looked the last time we saw them.
We will remember also the weddings never attended,
the houses never built,
the children never born,
the fields never plowed,
books never written
and the songs never sung."

Another element I liked was the white marble blocks set into the wall. There are 138 and are used for candles during ceremonies or left by family and friends. You can see them in the second and third pictures.

Iowa VIII

My final stop in Iowa was in Council Bluffs. The memorial here is in Bayless Park and is one of a number at this Veteran's Plaza site. Backed by a beautiful fountain, the memorial consists of a statue of a fatigue clad soldier on a pedestal. Perhaps he is standing guard over the 30 lost sons of Pottawatamie County whose names are forever inscribed on two sides of the pedestal and again on the wall running behind him. This wall commemorates a number of wars and features life sized statues of mourners along the walk.

The park is located at the corner of Pearl and First Streets in Council Bluffs and is well worth a visit should you ever have the opportunity.

Great cars in Iowa

I hope every one had a great holiday and in keeping with my "Holiday break" I thought I would post these pics of a small car show I happened on to while in Waterloo, Iowa.

This seemed to be simply a group of enthusiast meeting in the parking lot of a local building. There was no competition, or paid admissions , or any stuff for sale. Just the enjoyment of these classic cars.

Enjoy, I'll be back with more memorials the first of the new year!

Nebraska

Something a little different today.

As it is the holiday season, and for me that means trains under the tree, I thought I would post these pics of these engines. They welcome you into Nebraska. As I was leaving Council Bluffs I could not help but stop and see these.

These are among the largest engines ever built. They commemorate the joining of the east and west by the railroads and they are located in a park dedicated to John Cooper Kenefick, a long time leader of Union pacific. I had only been vaguely aware that the westward movement of this famous story of the race from San Francisco to Ogden, Utah began in Omaha.

So, for all you train fans out there, enjoy and Happy Holidays!

I'll write about Nebraska Vietnam Memorial sites in the near future

The Virtual Wall

I am humbled and very proud to announce the this site, A Means To Heal, has been added to the "Healing" section of The Virtual Wall project. I will, shortly be reciprocating and adding a few other links to this site, so that you can check them out, also. Watch for them in the very near future.

If for some reason you have not seen the Virtual Wall site and would like to check it out, go here;

http://www.virtualwall.org/linksvw.htm#healing

Iowa VII

My friend at the Iowa Veteran's Cemetery directed me to Parkersburg, Iowa. A brand new veteran's memorial was dedicated just this past Memorial Day. While it is not specifically a Vietnam site, the names of those who served in "Nam take up several panels on the stone fixtures. The site attempts to list all veterans who ever served from the area. They are not listed in chronological order to allow for late additions. You will note that several names of Vietnam vets were added to the back of one of the markers.

The site includes a chopper that looks very 'Nam like to me. It had to be moved slightly from its original site and is tilted due to a tornado that came through.

It is located on the corner of Miners and Colfax Streets adjacent to the Parkersburg Veteran's memorial building and the Oak Hill Cemetery.

The next post is Council Bluffs, a name that just rings with history!

Iowa VI

Heading for Des Moines, to the Capitol grounds, I happened to see the sign for the Iowa Veteran's Cemetery. I figured I'd take a chance and see if there was anything there.

As luck would have it, I found this marker. For reasons still unclear to me, I wandered into the administration building at the site. There I met this really great person. She spent at least an hour with me talking about my project and about what they do at this site.

While I was there a woman came in wanting to know how to make arrangements to have her late husbands ashes interred at the site. My new friend explained that the Cemetery had no rules regarding what kind of a container was placed inside what they call "The Wall". Only that it would fit and that one should consider if they, too, would like to join their loved one later and to allow for that when choosing the vessel. She said that she had seen jewelry boxes, vases and even a Harley-Davidson gas tank used as containers. We both got a smile out of that as we had just been talking about bikes and Patriot Guard.

She directed me to another site that I had never heard of before. So, twice in one day I had discovered sites previously unknown. I have learned, now, to try to leave some time open on each trip just for such lucky occurrences.

The new site is the newly dedicated Veteran's Park in Parkersburg and it will be my next post.