The idea for the Moving Wall and the wall itself came from John Devitt, Gerry Haver and Norris Shears. These three men, all Vietnam Veterans from California, wanted to find a way to “share” the Vietnam Veterans memorial that is located in Washington D.C. In February 1983 while explaining their idea to other veterans John Devitt was asked if the wall would be portable. Wanting to avoid negatives, he replied, “Yeah, it’s going to be portable.” The men then set about the daunting task of designing the wall so that the names would be very legible and the wall would be sturdy but portable.
The funds for the Moving Wall originated from $2,500 that Devitt and Haver pooled of their owe money. They knew it wouldn’t be enough but believed that this special project would help them to get credit along with the promise to make good on any debts, even if it meant paying from their own pockets. The intent was to never charge a fee to view the Wall, and they never have. The funds to maintain the wall are all raised by the public.
The Moving Wall is 253 feet long, slightly longer than half the length of the memorial in Washington D.C., which is 493.5 feet long. The dates on the Wall span from 1959 to 1975. 1959 is the year given by the Department of Defense as when the first American Casualties were. 1975 is the last year with deaths. There are, as of Jan. 1, 58,261 names on the wall. There are no civilian names on the wall. It is dedicated to the 2.7 million people who served in the US Military in Vietnam. All of the 58,261 names will be read aloud during the Wall’s visit to the Stockbridge area.
As of Jan. 1, the Moving Wall has been in 1,155 communities. The Stockbridge Area is very pleased to support our American Legion in this endeavor. The Wall was intended to provide an opportunity to help people who might never get a chance to visit Washington D.C. to view the original memorial.
The Munnsville American Legion has been working on the preparations for this event for quite a while. There is going to be a need for lots of volunteers. All are welcome to participate. Help will be needed but not limited to; information tent, visitor assistance, reading names etc… If you are interested in providing support and/or volunteering, please contact Post 54 Commander Tom Hollingsworth at 495-6593. For more information about the Moving Wall, contact Hollingsworth or visit themovingwall.org.
