The Traveling Vietnam Wall - Closing Day

The Ride of Honor and Closing Ceremony for the American Veterans Traveling Tribute featuring the Traveling Vietnam Wall was held at the Somerset County Park Commission's North Branch Park in Bridgewater, NJ, on the afternoon of October 16th.

The ceremony began with the Rolling Thunder Ride of Honor...

The closing ceremony included the Honor Guard from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, singing of the National Anthem by Somerville's Lena Acosta, comments by Somerset County Park Commission Director Raymond Brown, Freeholder Patrick Scaglione, Rolling Thunder President Gary Scheffmeyer, Vietnamm Veterans of America Chapter 452 President John LeGates, the benediction by Temple Shalom Rabbi Ron Isaacs, and the playing of Taps...


And The Wall presided over it all. Visitors walked the length of The Wall commenting on the size and the number of names while parents tried to explain The Wall. Others took photographs of the entire wall and, often, searched for that one particular name - or more than one. They made rubbings of names.

Many reached out and touched The Wall and that special name...

##

##
Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz.
Slideshow by Susan Gulliford.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall: Clark and Garwood

This is a personal post by one of the HNJJ photographers who grew up in Clark and went to Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School which Garwood students also attended.

These seven names on the Vietnam Wall honor residents of Clark and Garwood in Union County. They played on the same streets we did, went to some of the same schools. They grew up. They graduated...



Joseph Vincent Whelan - Garwood - 1942-1969

John Winters - Clark - 1950-1969

Thomas Edward Badavas - Garwood - 1946-1967

Richard Danner Hartman - Clark - 1935-1967

Kenneth Edward Kuspiel - Clark - 1947-1968

Robert Lee Sevell - Clark - 1943-1968

Kevin Corcoran - Garwood - 1950-1968


##
Forever Young by Joan Baez

##
Each name is linked to their Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Page.
##
The photographs were taken at the Traveling Vietnam Wall last week in Bridgewater, NJ.
Thank you.
Susan G. - ALJRHS Class of 1968

The Traveling Vietnam Wall - Saturday's Ceremony

On Saturday the American Veterans Traveling Tribute featuring the Traveling Vietnam Wall held Military Service Day Honoring All Who Served.

The ceremony featured the NJ Civil Air Patrol Cadet Color Guard,US Air Force Auxiliary, the National Anthem sung by Somerville's Tess Giardina, remarks by Somerset County Freeholder Peter Palmer, North Branch Reformed Church Pastor Todd Buurstra, Somerset County Director of Veterans Affairs Peter Niemiec, Bridgewater Mayor Patricia Flannery, AVTT Marketing Director Tom Zarcone, US Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, former Freeholder and Park Commissioner John Kitchen. The mayors and representatives of 13 Somerset County municipalities laid wreaths honoring the 34 Somerset County residents who gave their lives during the Vietnam War...

The people who attended - the veterans, those who worked on the program and participated, the sponsors, the family members, those remembering those whose names are on the Wall, and residents who thought that it was important to be there...


Overseeing everything - The Wall...

The Traveling Vietnam Wall - Sunrise

Saturday sunrise at the American Veterans Traveling Vietnam Wall exhibit at North Branch Park...


##
For music click on the smaller triangle below:
Kujicity blog: Four Seasons 2010 in My Hometown

[Due to a translation problem HNJJ doesn't have the exact name and performer...yet.]

Traveling Vietnam Wall Opening Day

The Opening Day Ceremonies for the American Veterans Traveling Tribute including the traveling Vietnam Wall exhibit took place at North Branch Park on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

The Opening Ceremonies included the presentation of the colors, the singing of the National Anthem, speakers, and the laying of wreaths...

The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders presented commemorative medals honoring Somerset County veterans who served during the Vietnam war...

The people who attended - including the veterans, those who worked on the program and participated, the sponsors, the family members, those remembering the veterans whose names are on the Wall, and residents who thought that it was important to be there...
A final thank you to the musicians who wrote and performed three songs for the ceremony, Tyler Mylroie, Joe Reina, Joe Reina,Jr., and Bob Burke...

##
Try to Remember by Andy Williams...

##
Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz.