Hundreds of people have already made their way out to The Wall That Heals which is on display at the Manitowoc County Expo Grounds, despite the rainy weather. A Welcome Home ceremony was held Thursday night, where a coin was given to every single Vietnam Veteran in attendance. The hall in which it was held was packed with people, ranging from children to elders, all of which were very thankful for the sacrifices of the 58,000+ people who have their name etched into the wall.
Part of the crowd was a group of Cub Scouts from Pack 3934 and Boy Scouts with Troop 904, both out of Manitowoc, and their adult leader, Aaron Stachovak, said he thought it was important to bring his scouts to see the wall, because reverence is ingrained into the Scouting way. “Part of the Scout Law is showing reverence,” Aaron explained. “We felt that this is a great opportunity for both our Scout Troop and our Cub Pack to show reverence to the veterans of the Vietnam War.”
Aaron’s son Micah was awestruck by the number of names on the wall. He told us that his grandpa served in Vietnam, and “To see all those people that served alongside of him…that’s a lot of people.” There was also a display inside of pictures and equipment from the war, which Micah enjoyed. “I liked the firearms in there, and what tools and equipment they used.”
Cathy Karl, one of the organizers of the event, has informed us that the new parking lot on Crawford Boulevard will not be available for use due to the excessive rain. The wall will be on display until 3:00 on Sunday, and the Manitowoc County Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America are asking for volunteers to help dismantle the wall. President Terry Johnson is asking that people bring their own gloves because they only have a limited number.
