Past Events Archive
Moving Vietnam Wall
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The Moving Wall at dusk.
© Richard West, West Photo Imaging
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September 22-28,
2004 at Snow Bowl, Mahlon
Dickerson Reservation
Thanks to the untiring efforts of Jack Kelly, chairman of the
Bicentennial Committee, and support from New Jersey state legislators,
Jefferson Township was selected from hundreds of applications
from across the nation and was the only New Jersey
community that hosted The Moving Wall this year.
Preparations for the arrival of The Moving Wall took take
months of planning with the help of numerous volunteers and
donations of needed construction materials. The Bicentennial
Committee was responsible for organizing the preparations,
selecting a viewing site and planning the weeklong event.
One of the biggest challenges was the construction of
a platform to support the 250 foot long granite structure
engraved with the names of 15,225 men and women, all known
casualties in the war, and those who are still missing in
action (MIA).
While in Jefferson, the exhibit was open to the public
24 hours a day between September 23-28 which required the assistance
of dozens of volunteers whose jobs included helping visitors
find names, overnight security, assembly and disassembly,
food preparation, parking, cleanup, and countless other tasks
Vietnam veteran Gerry Stegmaier wrote after visiting the
memorial in another state, “The Wall is solid, its
granite face designed to resist the elements for all time.
Yet, as visitors touch its surface, the Wall becomes almost
fluid. Small ripples of hope and healing spread ever out-wards.
Like the concentric circles created when a stone is tossed
into a pond, the impact of The Wall grows and grows.”
Professional photographer and Bicentennial Committee member, Richard West, of West Photo Imaging, captured the display in some beautiful photographs that can be seen here.
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