Local military joins community in welcoming traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Army Reserve Col. Vincent B. Barker, Chief of Staff, 85th Support Command, joined the local community of Hoffman Estates in a ceremony welcoming a visit from the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall titled "The Wall That Heals", June 4.

"The Wall That Heals", managed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), was hosted by the staff members from the first Cabela's store in Illinois.

"Every year Cabela's tries to involve the community in a project," said Diane Schneider, Retail Marketing and Brand Manager. "This year we decided to do something for our veterans and for our active military families... We're very proud to have it here."

The traveling wall is a half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall located in Washington D.C. stated Tim Tetz, Director of Public Outreach for the VVMF.

Tetz explained that the VVMF was established in 1979 to build the wall in Washington D.C. and then they also built the Three Servicemen Statue, but in 1997 they realized that they needed to establish a mobile monument for people who could not travel to Washington D.C. to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The wall currently travels from 35-40 locations across the country every year per request.

"Part of the outreach's efforts is to travel with this wall to help people better understand the Vietnam memorial, the Vietnam War, and the service and sacrifice of those people in it," said Tetz.

Barker participated in the opening ceremony as the keynote speaker giving remarks there during the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

"This commemoration is intended to assure our Vietnam veterans that this grateful nation will never forget their sacrifices - They are a living reminder and representation of the nine million patriotic Americans that served this nation during the Vietnam War," said Barker.

"The legacy of our Vietnam veterans is proudly continued by those who wear the uniform today, and (those) who will wear the uniform in years to come."

Barker shared stories of Vietnam veterans from the local community and read the names of two servicemen killed in Vietnam from his hometown in Wisconsin.

"Our Vietnam veterans did all that their nation asked and then some. They served wherever duty called, just as their forefathers had done in all of our previous wars, and just as their children and grandchildren are doing on today's battlefields."

The ceremony was coordinated by retired U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Carter who assists the local community in military-related ceremonies.

"This means a lot because my friends are on that wall," said Carter. " I thank everyone for being here - this means a lot to us."

Barker, with former U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. David Lang, assisted in concluding the ceremony with a wreath laying presentation and taps played by Ernest Smith.

Presentation of the Colors were conducted by soldiers from the Chicago Recruiting Battalion.

This visit is one of five stops this year in Illinois for the traveling wall, approximately 250 feet in length, carrying the names of 58, 307 service members who were killed during the Vietnam War.