Mobile Viet wall to visit Provo

PROVO — The slick black stone of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., has stood since 1982 as a silent sentinel to the more than 58,000 names listed as casualties or missing in action from the Vietnam War.

Mobile versions of the wall have been touring the country for more than 20 years — and one is now coming to Provo.

A Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall will be at Provo's North Park, 500 N. 500 West, today to Monday. There will be an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. today and a closing ceremony Monday at 10 a.m.

During both ceremonies, the Timpview High School band will play a tribute to armed forces personnel from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.

Provo Mayor Lewis K. Billings will welcome guest speakers George Wahlen today and Jake Garn, a former senator, astronaut, author and retired brigadier general, on Monday.

Wahlen served during the Vietnam and Korean wars and received the Medal of Honor for service at the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

Whalen, who has dedicated much of his life to protecting the freedoms of others, said those who visit the wall should show reverence for it.

"It means a lot to have people remember those who died trying to protect our freedoms," Wahlen said.

"It's important to realize that each person on the wall had parents, a family and usually a girlfriend or wife," Wahlen said. "You can only imagine how many people were affected."

Gerald Hubbard, who lives in Orem, sponsored the wall's visit to Provo. He paid the $4,000 fee, organized the two ceremonies and round-the-clock volunteers. Hubbard is a Vietnam combat veteran and spoke of the impact seeing the wall had on him.

"It means a lot to me. It saved my life," he said. "It gave me historical closure for the event and people I saw die. It helped me put the war into perspective."

According to the Moving Wall Web site, the half-size replica of the one in Washington, D.C., is "constructed of aluminum silk screened panels and is approximately 6 feet tall and 254 feet long."

The idea and building of the mobile version came from Vietnam veterans John Devitt, Gerry Haver and Norris Shears of California. Experiencing the power of visiting the wall in Washington, they began constructing movable walls in February 1983. The first was completed in October 1984 and two versions have been crisscrossing the county on a regular basis.

Hubbard said the wall that will visit Provo was recently in Pocatello, Idaho, where it was visited by more than 20,000 people.