[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17682]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING OUR VIETNAM VETERANS ON JULY FOURTH

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize and applaud 
VFW Post 2164 of Wheaton, IL for sponsoring the Moving Wall in Wheaton 
during its Independence Day celebrations from June 30 to July 6 this 
year. I had the honor of marching in the Wheaton July 4th parade last 
Friday and viewing the Moving Wall. I was especially impressed by the 
community's tribute to fallen Vietnam veterans that was delivered at 
the parade reviewing stand.
  The Moving Wall is a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial here in Washington. The Memorial was dedicated in 1982 in 
honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States who 
served in the Vietnam War. The black granite wall, engraved with the 
names of those who gave their lives and those who remain missing, 
serves as a somber reminder of the costs of war in American lives and 
treasure.
  The idea of a moving wall was conceived by Vietnam veteran John 
Devitt while attending the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication in 
1982. Devitt's idea was deeply personal. He had been out of work when 
the wall was dedicated and had made the trip with financial help from 
family and friends. ``There were millions of people who would never be 
able to come to Washington,'' he later explained: ``I wanted them to be 
able see and feel what I had.'' Mr. Devitt accomplished his mission as 
millions of people in hundreds of American communities have visited the 
Moving Wall during its 20 years of existence.
  The Moving Wall was built by Devitt, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and 
other Vietnam veterans, and was displayed for the first time in Tyler, 
TX in October of 1984. Currently, there are two Moving Walls, which 
crisscross the country from April to November each year.
  The 462-strong VFW Post 2164, commanded by Korean War veteran Sonny 
Carson, and the citizens of Wheaton, IL are to be commended for raising 
the $26,000 required to bring the Wall to Wheaton. The Wall's presence 
in Wheaton was a particularly poignant event as the names of 14 of its 
sons are engraved upon the Wall's granite face, including a Medal of 
Honor recipient, James Howard Monroe.
  The goal of bringing the Moving Wall to Wheaton was to help close old 
wounds, and to educate the community about the war in Vietnam and its 
profound effect on our Nation and our veterans. It is my pleasure to 
congratulate the members of VWF Post 2164 and the citizens of Wheaton 
for achieving that goal, and for helping the rest of us honor and 
remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

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