Wartrace officials support Moving Wall

Members of Wartrace's Board of Mayor and Aldermen gathered Tuesday night before their meeting to present a $500 donation to Gene Williams with the Shelbyville-Bedford County History Museum. The money will help pay for bringing the Vietnam Moving Wall to Shelbyville in October. From left are Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher; aldermen Thomas Hurt and Jean Gallagher; Williams; and aldermen Ed Simpson, Roston Floyd and Patsy Gregory. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Town of Wartrace often gives money to worthy causes, from Scouts to the Wartrace Horse show. But the $500 donation made to the Shelbyville exhibit of the Vietnam Moving Wall at Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Mayor and Alderman had special meaning.

Not only are all the male members of the board veterans, but many knew Ben McCullough, whose name is on that memorial wall.

"His father worked for the town," said Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher. "We all grew up together, got into the kind of troubles boys get into."

Gene Williams has been the driving force behind bringing the wall to Bedford County. The Vietnam Moving Wall is a scale reproduction of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., on which are engraved the names of those who gave their lives in the conflict. The moving wall is smaller and portable, allowing those who cannot travel to Washington a chance to experience it.

The men served their country and returned. But when Ben McCullough came home, it was to his grave in Hollywood Cemetery. Another Wartrace soldier who fell in Vietnam, Jerry Lovell, is also buried there. A third Vietnam loss was Roy Wayne Rich, who is buried in Michigan but was born and raised in Wartrace.

The Wall will be in Shelbyville at Riverwalk Park from Oct. 30-Nov. 3 -- nearly a year after Williams began working to bring it here.

"It's a long process," he said. "We were lucky to get a date."

The wall itself costs $4,000 to bring, but there are many incidental costs -- printing for the promotional flyers and programs; hotel stays and meals for the staff which accompanies it; and even portable restrooms. The checks provided by Wartrace, as well as other donors, help, said Williams.

"I think it's very important," said Gallagher, "There are many people who live in the county who were touched by the war."

"Some people still have a hard time with it," said Williams.

He hopes some of the activities planned for those families will help, including a dinner just for them one night before the opening ceremonies, followed by a candlelight vigil.

The opening service will include local politicians, the Shelbyville Central High School Band, a color guard, and a bagpiper, David Enzfelder, who is coming from Florida.

"It just keeps getting bigger," said Williams, who is currently working on the program for the opening ceremony.

For more information on how to donate, go to www.flyculturalartscenter.com.