A traveling Vietnam War memorial made a stop this month in Mineola, giving East Texans an opportunity to honor the fallen. The names of war dead are inscribed on a scale model of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located in Washington D.C.Photo by Kristen Epke.
Display boards share information about other U.S.-involved wars, including the number of people who perished. Photo by Kristen Epke.
MINEOLA — American Veterans Traveling Tribute spread across the lawn outside the city’s civic center as visitors quietly paid their respects to the soldiers who served their country.
The Wall — the focus of the display — stands 8 feet high and more than 370 feet long and is inscribed with the names of thousands of people who died in the Vietnam War. It’s an 80 percent scale model of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall located in Washington D.C.
The exhibit, sponsored by Sands Resorts, stopped in Mineola the week of Nov. 4 — the week before Veterans Day — as part of a 40-city U.S. tour.
“The Wall is a tribute to everyone who has protected and served. The power was in the people not the numbers,” Don Allen, the exhibit owner, said. The entire exhibit includes informational display boards about other U.S.- involved wars
In front of the wall, there are nine memorials covered in gold dog tags that honor all who died and served since the Vietnam War. Other exhibits include display cases of information from other wars including a collection of posters from WW II and bulletins listing the number of people served and the number of people who died in every U.S. war.
A flag flies in honor of those who participated in the war. Photo by Kristen Epke.
Visitors left personal tributes at the base of the wall. Photo by Kristen Epke.
The Wall came to Mineola from Missouri and moved on to Childress, Allen said. Visitors honored the fallen by leaving flowers, crosses and rosaries at the base of the wall.
“The Wall is very good for the community. It is a focal point for recognizing aid of a lot of groups, not just military, such as police, firefighters, and everyone who served and volunteered during and after 9/11/2001,” Mineola mayor Bo Whitus, a Navy veteran who said he served 26 years.
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