Special tribute in Marinette this weekend

Image by TTVo via Flickr

Very fitting as our nation’s freedom is celebrated this weekend.

The city of Marinette will pay special tribute to our country’s military heritage this Independence Day weekend, hosting a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from Thursday through Monday.

The Moving Wall is a half-sized replica of the well-known memorial in Washington, D.C. It will go up Thursday at Marinette High School, where it will be guarded around the clock, giving veterans and others the chance to pay tribute.

The wall’s journey to Marinette began more than two years ago with the inquiry of Don Sheets, president of the local Optimist Club. He received word last year that the wall would be coming, and planning began in earnest.

“I’d seen the wall back in the ’80s in Illinois,” Sheets said, “and I’m a Vietnam vet myself. I thought it’d be nice for this area to get a chance to see it.”

The wall is expected to be ready for public viewing by 1 p.m. Thursday.

“Since the Fourth of July‘s the birth of our nation — July 4, 1776 — this obviously means a lot,” said Mike Edwards, president of Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 Wisconsin, a veterans advocacy group, adding that “this does say something, and it does mean something. … The respect and honor that the wall signifies is just an incredible sight.” (Source: Vietnam memorial stops in Marinette this weekend – Green Bay Press-Gazette)

Check it out if you’re in the area.

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