Kingwood Memorial Park Vietnam Wall

Kingwood Memorial Park Vietnam Wall. . , August 27-29, 2004, Columbus, Ohio was blessed to have the Vietnam Wall Experience visit Kingwood Memorial Park. Over 500 volunteers helped keep the Wall open for 56 continuous hours. They braved the hot, humid, sticky days and nights to make sure that the visitors who attended had a meaningful experience., We had hoped 20,000 visitors would come to our 24 acre cemetery; instead 50-75,000 came! What a great problem to have. It rained and they still kept coming!, This Vietnam Wall will live in the hearts and memories of the over 50,000 people who came to honor our heroes, and will stay with us as a reminder of the brave men and women who gave their lives with the support of none., The Vietnam Wall is more than just an exhibit, it is a symbol of freedom, courage, history, and healing., The Wall is a 240-foot, three-quarter-scale exact replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., containing over 58,000 names, including 3,000 Ohioans. It is dedicated to all Americans who served in Vietnam and honors all veterans of the U.S. Military., The highlight of this ceremony was having a drill Sergeant call up each veteran in the audience by the war they served in. When the hundreds of soldiers were assembled in front of the stage, he called them all to attention. Then he ordered them to "About face.... Hand salute... (10 second pause)... Turn About Face" Then he yelled, "Gentlemen, welcome home!" There was eye in the place., The event allowed many to share their memories, teach those uninformed, and heal deep wounds., Something so many of us worked so long and hard for is finally over. But as one of our associates stated, "It will never be over for me."