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Portable war memorial heads to Roswell
By Joan Durbin
North Fulton Neighbor Staff Writer
Christi Callahan Bobo was born the day the Vietnam War ended. Yet she is keenly aware of the emotional gravitas surrounding the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a black granite wall inscribed with the names of all 58,256 armed services members who lost their lives in the conflict in Southeast Asia between 1959 and 1975.
On learning of a three-quarter scale version of the national monument that has traveled the country since 1990, Ms. Bobo said she went straight to her bosses at Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery. She knew how much seeing that replica would mean to the local Vietnam veterans and their families.
"I wanted to be able to bring it to the people who can't go to Washington," said the third generation Roswell native.
Roswell Funeral Home Manager Tony Papel knew it was the right thing to do.
"We know a lot of families from Roswell, Alpharetta and the rest of the north Fulton community have been affected by the Vietnam War with family or friends who went off to Vietnam and never came back alive," Papel said. "A lot of those families won't have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. so we wanted to bring the Wall here to give them an opportunity to reflect and pay their respects."
On July 4, 5 and 6 the traveling memorial wall will be on the cemetery grounds, open to the public 24 hours a day free of charge. Its 248-foot length and eight-foot height will be lit at night, just as it is in the nation's capitol.
Created and sponsored by the Dignity Memorial network of cemeteries and funeral homes, the replica is made of faux black granite with all of the names of the fallen etched into its surface.
Bill Pankey, an Air Force vet who flew C-130s in Vietnam in 1970 and 1972, has three friends on the Wall.
Jack Harrison, who during his Army years in Vietnam was a combat medic and helicopter gunner, has "28 of my own" on the wall.
They will be among the more than 100 Vietnam veterans in a motorcycle honor guard escorting the Dignity memorial Vietnam Wall from Augusta to Roswell on July 1.
Harrison, a past and incoming commander of American Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta, said his Legion Riders will be joined by riders from the Blue Knights, a police and fire motorcycle group, and the Leathernecks, riders with ties to the Marine Corps.
"We want to give [the memorial wall] the public recognition it deserves, the same as we would a vet coming home. It's our way to show we care," Harrison said.
After two days of set-up and construction on the cemetery grounds, the Dignity Memorial Wall will be welcomed by a July 4 celebration beginning at 10 a.m. U.S. District 6 Rep. Tom Price will be among the speakers.
There will be a 50-foot living flag of veterans, armed services family members and volunteers representing 50 states as well as a POW/MIA ceremony.
Immediately after this event ends, volunteers will begin reading aloud the names of all of the fallen. This will continue throughout the memorial's three-day stay.
On July 5, there will be a candlelighting ceremony starting at 9 p.m., a 21-gun salute and a wreath placement. At 5 p.m. July 6, the closing ceremony will include remarks by a retired colonel and Andy Farris, a local Vietnam vet who has been actively involved in securing benefits for the war's veterans.
Even in inclement weather, all of the three ceremonies will go on inside the chapel of the funeral home, said Ms. Bobo.
"They fought for us when it rained, in knee deep mud and maybe beside the body of their buddy who just got killed. So these events are going to happen either in good weather or bad," she said.
Parking will be available in the funeral home lots as well as in lots at nearby commercial properties with shuttles to the Dignity Memorial Wall site.Todd Hull/Staff
The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall will be in Roswell starting July 4 at the Roswell Funeral Home. From left, Committee Chairman and Roswell Funeral Home Manager Tony Papel, and Vietnam veterans Bill Pankey and Jack Harrison, who will be part of a motorcycle honor guard escorting the replica into town.
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