Plans for the arrival of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall (The Wall) in the Wabash Valley near Hillsdale on June 9-11 were shared at a recent Rockville Rotary Club meeting held in the banquet room at the Thirty-Six Saloon in Rockville.
Becky Holbert, co-chair of the Friends of the Ernie Pyle Museum committee, briefly discussed plans for the event as well as the life of Ernie Pyle and the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum located in Dana. She explained how the Friends of Ernie Pyle Board are striving to honor his legacy. He was the voice of the soldiers in World War II and successfully lobbied for combat pay for the Armed Forces which became a law that still exists today. Holbert said it seems appropriate to bring this tribute to those who paid the last full measure for our country during the Vietnam War to west central Indiana.
The Wall is a three-fifths scale of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington. It stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end. The Wall contains the names of more than 58,300 American military members who died during the conflict. It stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their hometown who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington. The Friends want the traveling wall visit to be an event that all those in the area can enjoy and take ownership.
There are opportunities for businesses, organizations, and individuals to display their support for not only those who died for the United States during the Vietnam War, but for the West Central Indiana community by helping this prestigious event to occur.
The Friends are seeking sponsors to help defray the cost of bringing The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to the local area and volunteers to help with the preparation of the display grounds.
Monetary donations will be recognized on banners, advertising and in press releases concerning The Vietnam Memorial Wall’s local stay. Organizations will also receive recognition for their help either with volunteers or materials needed for this patriotic and reverent display.
For more information interested businesses, organizations and individuals can call the museum at 765-665-3633 or at the following website: https://bit.ly/3Zit5IB
The Rotary Club of Rockville is one of over 35,000 Rotary International clubs world-wide promoting community service, peace and understanding. The Club normally meets on Monday evenings at 5:30 p.m. at the Thirty-Six Saloon banquet room. More information about the Rockville Rotary Club is available on Facebook.
