by Carol Schreiber
Staff Writer
There are 58,228 names on “The Moving Wall,” the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “The Moving Wall” is going to be in Brewster next month, in conjunction with the Brewster Veterans Memorial dedication ceremony and the annual Fun Days celebration. An All School Class Reunion is also scheduled. Please see the following for more details about Fun Days in Brewster.
“The Moving Wall” will be set up on the Brewster School football field on Thursday, July 13, and will be open 24 hours a day until Monday, July 17. The Brewster Veterans Memorial dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday afternoon, following the annual Fun Days parade.
The Veterans Memorial is being installed, and crews have been working during the past few months to complete the Memorial prior to Fun Days. Volunteer work and local contractors have helped to create the Memorial which is located in the City Park.
Organizer Tom Behrends explained that the granite has been measured and is coming. “They created the plywood pattern last week, and it should be installed by the end of month,” he added. The bronze statue is complete and awaiting installation. Landscaping work is underway, and flowers have been planted in a diamond shaped area.
The Veterans Memorial will consist of black and gray pavers along a walk of honor to a pentagon shaped monument and a bronze statue. The entrance to the Memorial will feature the Twin Towers and dedication plaque. A sand colored walkway, with bootprints stamped into the concrete, leads to center monument.
The pentagon shaped monument honors the attack on the Pentagon where 125 workers perished. Granite inscribed with the five branches of the service, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, surrounds the monument. On top of the monument is a bronze sculpture of Sergeant Kyle Miller, who died in Iraq on June 29, 2006 while serving with the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, 34th Division from southwest Minnesota.
The battlefield cross is a composite to honor several wars: paratrooper boots from World War II, a bayonet from the Cold War, an M-16 from the Vietnam War, and a steel helmet from the Korean War.
The walk of honor will be lined with black and grey pavers. The black ones, in groups of 34 to honor the Red Bull’s 34th Division, will honor veterans. The gray ones will surround them, and are for others who wish to be part of the Veterans Memorial. The gray pavers signify the support that the veterans received from home while they were deployed. Approximately 300 pavers have been ordered at this point, and they will begin installation of those about the first of July.
Pavers are still available and will be available indefinitely. However, in order to get a paver engraved and installed by the dedication ceremony on July 15, orders must be turned in to the Brewster City Hall by June 15. Orders received after that will be engraved and installed at a later date. Information can be seen at City Hall, the Brewster Veterans Memorial Facebook page or by contacting Behrends at thomas.behrends@gmail.com or 507-360-3057.
Behrends is finalizing plans for the dedication ceremony to be held on July 15. As part of that, “The Moving Wall” will be on display. “We are looking for volunteers for security as the Moving Wall needs to be manned around the clock,” Behrends said. “We also need volunteer Visitor Guides to help keep the operation running smoothly.”
The Visitor Guides assist those visiting the Wall, in location a particular name or dates of service. The names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall are listed in chronological order of the casualty date and then alphabetical by last name within a given date. It can take some time to locate n individual name. Guides will assist in finding names and creating rubbings if desired.
To volunteer or for more information contact him at thomas.behrends@gmail.com or 507-360-3057. More information about “The Moving Wall” can be seen at http://www.themovingwall.org/index.html.
Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins will be presented to those veterans at the opening ceremony Friday, July 14, at 7:30 PM and throughout the weekend. The lapel pins are explained further at http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/. “A grateful nation thanks and honors you” reads the back of the lapel pin, which is available for all living United States veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location.
“The Moving Wall” is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for thirty plus years. When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of “The Wall.” He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.
John, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver, and other Vietnam veteran volunteers built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas in October of 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the USA from April through November, spending about a week at each site.
Fun Days July 14-16
Fun Days activities will be held July 14, 15 and 16, beginning with the opening ceremony at The Moving Wall on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Wall will be located at the Brewster football field.
The Brewster Legion Hall will be the site to listen to Starfire, which features Brewster’s own Ed Busch on rhythm guitar and vocals. The band plays 1950s and 1960s music and rock and roll. They will perform from 8:00 p.m. until midnight.
Activities on Saturday begin with a French Toast and Sausage Brunch for the all school class reunion. The Brewster American Legion auxiliary will host the mornings brunch at the Legion Hall.
The Legion Hall will be open throughout the day on Saturday, allowing classmates and friends to visit in air conditioned comfort.
Reunion attendees are also encouraged to visit the Brewster School and Museum.
Beginning at 1:00 p.m. will be the annual Fun Days parade. Following the parade, the Veterans Memorial will be dedicated as will a bench, donated in honor and memory of Beth Nelson, longtime Brewster teacher.
Throughout the day on Saturday, many games and food booths will be available in City Park.
There will be a street dance in the City Park, starting at 9:00 p.m. Saturday night. 32 Below will be playing pop country music.
On Sunday, the annual pancake breakfast sponsored by the Brewster Fire Department Relief Association will be held at he Legion Hall. Serving begins at 8:30 a.m.
Additional activities will also take place during the weekend. Watch for more information as the dates approach.
