The Vietnam memorial wall is here
Bill Stevenson/Columbia Basin HeraldThe Wall is escorted through Moses Lake by thousands of motorcycles Wednesday.
Opening ceremony is Thursday, 1 p.m.
MOSES LAKE - The traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
The wall arrived in Moses Lake escorted by hundreds of motorcycle riders while bystanders watched from West Broadway Avenue. American flags and P.O.W. flags lined the street welcoming the event into the city Wednesday afternoon.
The wall is the largest traveling wall in the country and is an 80 percent replica of the memorial wall based in Washington, D.C. It features more than 58,000 names of those who died while serving in Vietnam.
"The American Veterans Traveling Tribute (wall) honors all veterans and those serving today and helps all veterans know they will never be forgotten," the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association released in a statement. "We must always separate the war from the warrior and be never failing in our support for our men and women in the armed forces."
The memorial and rally event is sponsored by the combat vets. It is free to view the memorial wall and it is open 24 hours per day.
The wall and other war memorabilia will be on display through 8 p.m. Sunday.
The viewing event is expected to cause emotional distress and fellow veterans and volunteers will be at the event to comfort others, according to the combat vets.
The opening ceremony takes place Thursday at 1 p.m.
From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. there is a motorcycle rally with a $10 admission fee Thursday.
A motorcycle stunt event is slated for Friday at 5 p.m. on Airway Drive and again on Saturday at 1 p.m. There will also be performances from the Precision Motorcycle Drill Team and the High Ridaz afterward.
The traditional Ride to the Wall is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday. A meeting place has not been determined.
Dirt drag races are scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the rodeo arena.
Throughout the event there will be music, various vendors and games.
For more information contact an event organizer at 509-765-9370 or visit veteranstributerally.org.
Local soldiers who died while serving in the Vietnam War according to the National Archives and Records Administration:
- Richard Dennis Ator, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Glen Robert Barnhill, Wilson Creek, Army, hostile death
- Robert Richard Bradley, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Stanley Alan Carter, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Reynaldo Roy Cavazos, Quincy, Army, hostile death
- Victor M. Hodson, Moses Lake, Army, non-hostile death
- Jason Aireal Holes, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Alan Hans Holm, Othello, Army, hostile death
- Danny Wayne Jarvis, Mesa, Army, hostile death
- Allen Gene Kinne, Mesa, Army, hostile death
- Kerry Brent Love, Mesa, Army, non-hostile death
- Michael John Masterson, Ephrata, Air Force, hostile death, body was not recovered
- Gerald Wayne McConnel Jr., Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Daryl Gene Meidinger, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death
- Clement Joseph Morisette, Othello, Navy, non-hostile death
- Kazuto Moriwaki, Moses Lake, Army, non-hostile death
- Hector Lopez Ruiz, Othello, Army, non-hostile death
- Thomas John Shriner, Royal City, Army, hostile death
- Douglas Frank Strait, Moses Lake, Army, hostile death, body was not recovered
- Thomas Peter Visker, Warden, Army, hostile death
- Gerald Albert Kulm, Ritzville, Army, hostile death
Help us complete the list of local people from Grant or Adams counties who died while serving in the Vietnam War. Add their information by commenting below.
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