Email link

Respond to editor

Read comments (13)

Share link

Moving Wall in place, open for visitors

Thursday, October 30, 2008
By John I. Carney

Wayne Carter, foreground, of Shelbyville, and John Devitt, creator of The Moving Wall, attach the rails which hold the panels of the memorial. The Moving Wall, a scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was placed at Riverwalk Park this morning and will remain there through Monday.
(T-G Photo by John I. Carney)
[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall is now on display at Riverwalk Park, on the Duck River behind Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System on South Main Street.

The Moving Wall, which was put into place this morning after arriving in Shelbyville Wednesday night, is a scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Like the original, the Moving Wall bears the names of every American service member killed in Vietnam.

A candlelight vigil will be held beginning at 7:30 this evening, sponsored by the group Rolling Thunder, which honors prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Rolling Thunder is known as a motorcycle club, although it is also open to those who don't ride.

The vigil will last about an hour.

Official opening ceremonies will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. and will last about two hours. Guest speakers will include Rear Adm. (retired) Jerry Breast; Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher; Col. (retired) J.C. Lilly; and Capt. (retired) Brent Lokey, as well as state legislators. The ceremony will include patriotic music and a three-volley salute.

The wall will remain on display until Monday afternoon, with 24-hour security.

Gene Williams of Shelbyville was the prime mover in bringing the display to Shelbyville. He coordinated support from numerous local businesses, agencies and individuals to make the display possible.

More information about the wall, and about Bedford County's Vietnam casualties, can be found in the special section which was published in Tuesday's Times-Gazette. The section may now be viewed online at t-g.com; click on the image of the front cover in the lower right column of our home page.

Comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on t-g.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

God Bless Our Troops! God Bless America!

-- Posted by Uncle KennyB on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 11:45 AM

Thank you Gene Williams for all your dedication and hard work to and for our community.

-- Posted by nathan.evans on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 1:00 PM

God Bless You Mr. Williams. Everyone should come out and show their support tonight. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

-- Posted by jtjustice30 on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 1:58 PM

My thanks to you also Mr. Williams. I lost my cousin Mike Brummer when I was in the 8th grade and have never forgotten him. I plan to visit the Memorial and find his name. Thank you to all our service members who give so much for our country.

-- Posted by hemmaw on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 2:25 PM

Gene Williams is one of the most dedicated unsung heroes of Bedford County. He has probably done as much if not more than anyone in Shelbyville to keep its history alive. Thank you Gene for all your many, many hours of hard work and dedication.

-- Posted by writeattitude on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 4:39 PM

In 1965 my cousin evaded draft notices because he was afraid of the war. His family convinced him in 1966 that going to the army was better than spending time in jail. At the age of 24 in 1966 he went to Vietnam and died during the first 2 weeks because a large type of gun back-fired. His now deceased mother never forgave herself. During the past 43 years I never dreamed I would see his name honored on this Wall. I wish his mother could see this. Thank you for this gift!

-- Posted by very logic on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 9:47 PM

Its good to respect these men that have fallen.

-- Posted by Brett Favre on Thu, Oct 30, 2008, at 10:04 PM

My dad was on a small PT boat runnin up/down the rivers. He doesn't talk about it much, but my kids are always on him to talk about the big navy boat he was on. I'm grateful every day that he came back safely. My husbands uncle lost his life on his 2nd tour over there. I hope to find his name when we go out there. What a wonderful way to show our respect to our fallen Heros...past and present! And what a history lesson for the kids and residents of this community! Thank you Mr Williams!

-- Posted by neighborhood mom on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 8:12 AM

Thank-you Mr. Williams for help bringing a National Memorial to this town. I've seen the Washington DC memorial many times and have helped gaurd it from vandals with the group "Gathering of Eagles", many whom are Rolling Thunder riders. It always brings a lump to my throat seeing "The Wall" and the brave men and women of the Viet Nam era reconnecting with their lost comrades who gave their all.

Mark Welsh

USAF Security Police

1979-1982

-- Posted by M Welsh on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 9:56 AM

To MR. Willams I say THANK you for the hard work and time spent bringing the wall here. If not for you getting it here I feel that I would never gotten to see it. I was in doing that time and was Blessed to come home alive. I did give up a family member in a battle in 1968. He was a gunner and was blown off his boat. He was not found untill 4 days later but, we were told that the search would not have stopped untill he had been found. We can not do or say enough for the men and women that are fighting for us now. I pray every day that each one of them are in God's arms and will also come home safe. To the ones who have lost loved ones my prays are with you. Again Thank you. May God Bless our nation and bring all of us out of this mess we are in now. Enough has been lost.

-- Posted by Heart fixed on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 10:01 AM

Thank you for bring the wall. I drove over this morning from M'boro to see. I looked up the 20 or so names that I was in the service with. Ten of them were on one mission to Loas in Lam Son 719. It was good to see those brave young men's names in a place of Honor. I was lucky and came home to have a family and to have three grandsons to hug and love.

Jim Clark

Bluestar 281

-- Posted by Cpt. Jim Clark on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 11:03 AM

I would like to thank Mr. Williams for all the hard work in getting the Traveling Wall to Shelbyville.

I would also like to thank the First United Methodist Church for hosting the Vietman KIA's Families Coming Together For A Time Of Healing dinner last night. A special thanks to all that were involved in putting the program together. It was wonderful.

My family was there to honor my uncle Jerry Lovell. The remaining 5 of the 8 of his brothers and sisters were there, plus several of the nieces. The entire program was very touching.

There was one table for a soldiers family that was empty, until a couple sat there.

I am so ashamed to say, I do not remember the soldiers name, if anyone that was there last night does, please post it here.

When Capt. Brent Lokey conducted the acknowlegment of each family and this soldiers name was called, the couple stood up as we all did for our loved one, the man that stood up for this soldier then said that he did not know the soldier, but he felt someone needed to be sitting at his table to acknowledge him.

I did not catch the mans name either, but would like to tell him, and everyone else that reads the post's here to know what a wonderful thing he did. To me, this was the most touching moment of the night.

-- Posted by allwrappedup on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 11:15 AM

Gene Williams deserves all the credit he gets -- and more -- for seeing that we have the privilege of viewing this exhibit. There is no way we can make up for the way many Americans treated our Vietnam veterans when they returned home from that war, but maybe, just maybe, this will help heal a few scars.

Those young men who served their country during this controversial war deserve America's wholehearted appreciation. They are heroes.

Late is somewhat better than never.

-- Posted by loveretirment on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 7:52 PM