TRAVELING WALL TALLAHASSEE DATES & DETAILED SCHEDULEVietnam Veterans of America, Big Bend Chapter 96, Inc., is sponsoring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall in the Fred Drake, Jr., city park on the south shore at Lake Ella in Tallahassee. Preliminary site work is slated to take place from November 3d through November 5th. On November 6th at approximately 9 a.m., in cooperation with the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff's Department, the truck and trailer carrying the Traveling Wall will be escorted through downtown Tallahassee by the Vietnam Veterans & Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club, Patriot Riders, and other cyclists. Upon reaching Fred Drake Park at Lake Ella, at about 10:00 a.m., the Wall will be unpacked and its assembly by volunteers will begin. Twenty-four hour per day security will also begin. On November 6th, during the day, besides assembling the Wall itself, at least one small tent will be pitched to "house" the Locator Service volunteers, some signs and temporary electric lines will be put in place, and straw will be spread in the area in front of the Wall. If not completed on the 6th because of inclement weather or any other reason this preparation activity will continue till completed on November 7th.
"Opening Ceremonies" are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on November 7th; BUT (provided that the weather cooperates) the days that the Traveling Wall will actually be operational and open for the public to visit 24 hours per day will start early on the morning of November 7th and run continuously through the entire night of November 11th.
A minimum of 3 volunteers will be needed on site at all times (24 hours per day) while the Traveling Wall is here. It is expected that actually many more volunteers than that will be on site around the clock. During the late afternoon and early evening hours, and especially during Opening Ceremonies on November 7th and on November 11th (Veterans Day), considerably more than 3 volunteers will be needed.
The more than 58,000 names of those U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in the Vietnam War will be read during daylight and early evening hours. This is anticipated to take from November 7th through November 10th, and many volunteer readers are needed to participate. On November 11th the names of those who have given their lives in subsequent U.S. military actions to the present date are planned to be read.
During most daylight and early evening hours a Locator Services tent will be staffed with volunteers who will help those who wish to find a particular name (the names are listed on the Wall in chronological order ("THE ORDER THEY WERE TAKEN FROM US") and unless you already know the exact location it is necessary to consult an index to find a particular name. During the the late night hours and any other time the Locator Services tent isn't staffed, volunteer security personnel on site can assist with Locator Services. If you need paper and a pencil to make a name "rubbing" those will be provided.
"Closing Ceremonies" are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on November 11th; however, the Reserve Officer Training Corps units of the local high schools and universities will participate in a 24 hour vigil that will last from midnight of the 10th of November through midnight of the 11th of November AND the Traveling Wall will remain in place and operational for visitors until the early daylight hours of November 12th, at which time it will be disassembled and will again be packed away in its trailer... and site security will also end.
To contact us by e-mail, click this link: wall@vva96.org
VVA Big Bend Chapter 96
241 Lake Ella Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32303-5572
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This page was created on 21 June 2008