The Vietnam Travelling Memorial Wall Coming to the Hudson Valley

The first time I went to Washington, DC, I went to the Vietnam Memorial. I remember being struck at how quiet it became the closer to the wall I got. To see the names, all of those names, knowing that each was a person with a family, loves, and a life that was cut short, was quite sobering.

I felt that way a few weeks ago when PBS aired the series 'The Vietnam War' by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. It was very powerful and the stories that emerged from that film will not soon be forgotten. While it's been more than 50 years since the Vietnam War ended, it is still very raw for many individuals and families.

If you've never been able to see the Vietnam Memorial in person, you will have a chance next year. Late last week, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announced that The Vietnam Travelling Memorial Wall will be coming to the Cantine Veterans Memorial Complex in Saugerties this summer.

It’s a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., reaching 6 feet high at its apex and stretching almost three hundred feet from end to end and bears the names of over 58,000 service members who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War.

The dates for this exhibit will be July 18-July 23.

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