Candlelight vigil honors Vietnam's fallen soldiers

Friday, October 31, 2008
By Mary Reeves

Family members gathered to find the names of their loved ones Thursday night on the Moving Wall, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, during a special candlelight ceremony in Riverwalk Park.
(T-G Photo by Mary Reeves)
[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The only thing missing was a bagpiper's lament from the hillside.

As the motorcycles from Rolling Thunder came down the hill to the Moving Wall at Riverwalk Park Thursday night, followed by a procession of cars, the rumble of the vehicles added a solemn air to a solemn occasion.

Friends and family members of servicemen who died in the Vietnam War were in those cars. They exited quietly, then gathered near one end of the long, somber, black monument, holding lit candles in their hands.

"The Vietnam War left a legacy -- and a hole in many peoples' hearts," Bob "Bulldog" Ousley, chapter president of the local Rolling Thunder group, told the crowd. "These are our brothers and sisters on the wall ... there is a healing at the wall."

The candlelight vigil was a special, more private event to mark the wall's arrival in Bedford County. The opening ceremony for the public will be held Saturday at 10 a.m., and will include a helicopter flyover at 10:30, according to retired Marine Ed Magee. It will be the Marine Corps League that presents the Advancing of the Colors in the opening ceremony, a fact made more poignant, Magee said, because every member of the flag corps served in-country during the war.

After Ousley spoke, family members and others close to the fallen drifted along the wall, candles still burning in their hands, looking for the names for which they had come.

The elderly were present, including Irene Mullins, 83, one of the few -- if not the only -- surviving mother in Bedford County of a Vietnam fatality.

Retired Marine Ed Magee, foreground, listens as Bob "Bulldog" Ousley, president of the local Rolling Thunder chapter, speaks at the candlelight vigil held Thursday night at the Moving Wall in Riverwalk Park. Magee served two tours in Vietnam. A native of Philadelphia, he now lives in Bedford County.
(T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]
There were also the very young, from babies to teenagers. Beth Tucker, 8, was there with her brothers C.J., 16, and Jeremy, 14.

"He died in the war," she said, after she studied her grandfather's name on the wall. "He was killed in a helicopter."

In fact, her grandfather was Charles Tucker -- the first Vietnam fatality from Bedford County.

For many, seeing the name brought closure that has waited for more than 40 years.

"We're finally saying goodbye," said Marie Creson after she laid a bouquet of roses at the base of the section bearing her brother's name, Carl Rogers Stovall. "We loved him. We still miss him. I just wish Mama and Daddy could have been here."

As the candles died out, the crowd moved away slowly, leaving the wet chill near the wall for the warmth of their cars.

On the walking trail going up the hill, overlooking the Moving Wall, a bagpiper began to play.

Comments

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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 11:20 AM

The soldier's table was for the family of Donald Ray Stephenson.

-- Posted by cmcclanahan on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 11:36 AM

Thank you so much :)

-- Posted by allwrappedup on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 11:39 AM

I have to admit, I chickened out last night. I have alot of friends on that wall, and I hesitate to open that box again. I am afraid of going back and letting all those memories loose again. For years now, they have left me alone, and my life is fairly simple and quite now. I can only recall my expiereience from 1995 when I made it to the wall in DC.

I will be there Sat morning though.

BCo 2/5th Cav RVN

-- Posted by Flyncarpet on Fri, Oct 31, 2008, at 1:02 PM

I am ashamed to say that I forgot about the dinner and also didn't remind my mother of it either.

My mother was Donnie's first cousin and she and two more cousins (one is out of state) were his last remaining close relatives as his mother died just a month ago and his father two years ago. Both his aunts and his only uncle have been dead several years now. He was an only child and didn't even have to go but felt it was his duty.

I am thankful that his parents were alive for the dedication of the bridge on Lewisburg Hwy and that they did get to go to Washington DC to see the real thing.

-- Posted by EastSideMom on Sat, Nov 1, 2008, at 10:56 PM