The Town of Oyster Bay, in conjunction with Dignity Memorial and the Vernon C. Wagner Funeral Home, will bring the Vietnam Wall Experience to the Sears Parking Lot in Hicksville, New York on the weekend of Friday, June 6th through Sunday, June 8th, 2008.
"The Vietnam Wall Experience is a three-quarter scale, travelling replica of the actual memorial in our nation's capitol," Supervisor John Venditto said. "It was designed in 1990 by Dignity Memorial, a network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers. The wall is made of faux-granite, stands eight feet in height and, like the actual memorial, has the names of 58,000-plus Americans who died or are missing in Vietnam inscribed on its black, mirror-like surface. The exhibit, which will be open around the clock and lighted for the entire weekend, will afford local residents the unique opportunity to remember, reflect and heal in a manner and time best suited for the individual. Perhaps most importantly, it will provide a service to those who might never travel of the nation's capitol to experience the Vietnam Wall firsthand."
"My colleagues and I on the Oyster Bay Town Board are extremely proud to dedicate this special weekend to all Americans who served in Vietnam and will join at the site to honor all veterans of the U.S. military," Supervisor Venditto said. "This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War." Supervisor Venditto said bringing the Vietnam Wall Experience to Oyster Bay is a massive undertaking requiring many volunteers and donations from generous individuals and businesses.
Carpenters Union Local 7 has generously agreed to completely handle the logistics associated with the set-up, breakdown and clean-up of the exhibit. However, there are still many other important jobs to be handled, including volunteers who can provide information and direction to the thousands of visitors expected.
"Since the exhibit is open for 24 hours, three straight days, we will require the assistance of as many hands as possible," explained Supervisor Venditto. "I believe the Vietnam Wall Experience will be not only an opportunity for reflection and appreciation, but a valuable learning venue for our children, who know little about the Vietnam War," Supervisor Venditto said. "There is parking available and admission is free. I hope to see many of our Town residents. Our veterans, particularly those who served in Vietnam, deserve a large showing of local residents who appreciate the sacrifices they've made to keep America the "Land of the Free."
Anyone wishing to volunteer their assistance can contact the Town of Oyster Bay's Division of Veteran Services at 516 -733-8414 for further information. A copy of the Volunteer Assignments form is available at (
http://waltsdorsai.net/VolunteerAssignments080326-1417.pdf
).
--- Regards, Walt Schmidt
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