Tears, hugs, smiles: The Wall remembered

“This is the most meaningful project I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of,” Mandy Duguid said this week, recalling the week Wake Forest hosted The Wall That Heals. “There were tears, smiles, hugs. I think we all experienced all emotions.”

The Gazette asked Duguid, Commissioner Greg Harrington and two volunteers who want to remain anonymous their impressions and memories of the Wall and the people who came. “We are still waiting to hear our official (visitor) number from Washington,” Duguid said.

“I spoke with numerous people during this incredible time and everyone had a different story,” Harrington said. “I had one man who stood about 15 feet or so from The Wall just looking. As I approached him and asked if I could help, he waited a minute before answering and said `I quit drinking 11 years ago and it still doesn`t help.’  He told me he had been invited to the Purple Heart banquet for a number of years but has never gone but will now go. I talked with a friend that served in the Navy and who lost 40-some shipmates in a fire on board ship.  He was looking for all the names.

Harrington went on, “Jerry G. told me about his friend he had not seen in 50 years and accidentally found out about him just recently was waiting to see him that morning at The Wall. I ran into a former North Carolina Highway Patrol patrolman I worked with in Halifax County who came to `see` a friend. I talked with a man from Tennessee who used to live in Halifax County and was in town and wanted to stop by. A lady said she had been to D.C. a number of times to The Wall but this was more special because of the surrounding. A group of folks here in town for a wedding wanted to come by as one of them had a relative on The Wall.

“Naturally there are more stories but ones that are more important are the nonverbal ones,” Harrington said. “Men looking through watery eyes trying to find a friend.  Family members looking for a brother. A husband lost years ago was being looked for. A lady looking for a place to leave a Purple Heart belonging to a long-ago family member as no one in her family now cares to take it.

“The number of hugs shared throughout the event, the laughs, the tears, the young people asking about the war, the number of elderly men and women who came from different facilities, the looks of `why me.’

Harrington ended, “People were so gracious in their thanks in having The Wall here. This has been one event that will not be forgotten for a long long time. As a Viet Nam veteran and having had a small role in getting The Wall has personally meant a lot. Emotions flow in every direction as I have a friend who took his life and a neighbor who dated my sister a couple of times while in high school, both are on The Wall. There were 58,318 men and women who served our country and gave their life in service to our country.  The Wall is not about politics or how you felt about the war.  The Wall is about respecting the men and women who gave their all.

“We had incredible volunteers and this could not have been done without the sponsors and donors. I want to thank the Town of Wake Forest and our town manager, Kip Padgett, for opening the arms of the town and working with us in so many different ways.”

One of the anonymous volunteers highlighted the welcome from the people in the three towns as The Wall came to town and the many volunteers. She wrote: “Thank you to the enormous numbers of patriotic people who lined the streets and highways of Youngsville, Rolesville and Wake Forest to honor and welcome home the over 100 veterans on motorcycles as they escorted the 58,318 names of the deceased Vietnam veterans on this Wall.

“People were often lined two and three deep in front of every church, business and subdivision, saluting, waving American flags, holding signs saying thank you for your service, welcome home, and God bless the USA. It was a heart-warming, breath-taking and healing moment when these veterans saw hundreds of little children at daycare centers along the route, the whole Rolesville elementary school cheering for them, and huge Americian flags from each town’s fire department hanging from their ladder trucks. As the parade traveled our communities, every intersection along the 23-mile route was blocked with police and/or firetrucks, more people and more flags, bringing TWTH’s truck driver to say this was one of the best escorts he had ever seen.  It was a great start to a memorable and meaningful week.

She went on, “Being a part of the three teams that assembled The Wall That Heals was truly an honor and gift, something few can say they participated in. For 10 hours on Wednesday, volunteers unloaded, carried hundreds of parts of each panel across Joyner Park, bolted, leveled and secured each panel to the ground, attached lights, opened the education center, landscaped the benches and staked out large American flags.  It was truly a labor of love and well worth every second of hard work.

“As guests from a senior center in Cary got off of the golf carts used to bring people to the site, one elderly lady said she was glad The Wall was so close to her today, so she could come and see her husband’s name on it again.

“Every day, individuals standing at The Wall turned into small groups of Vietnam veterans, reuniting, sharing stories and memories while wiping tears from their eyes. Benches provided were often filled with people, sitting quietly as they stared at the long panels of names. Standing close by were three large wreaths of red, white and blue flowers with flowing ribbons that held pictures and information of the three local soldiers on The Wall.

“Since this event was open 24 hours each day, volunteers gathered each night to guard TWTH from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. Thank you to this group of volunteers from Military Order of the Purple Heart, Americian Legion Post 60, Combat Vets, Christian Motorcycle Association, Red Knights and Rolling Thunder, who watched over the hundreds of visitors who came during the night hours.

The other anonymous volunteer said: “It takes a lot of people (volunteers) to make this work. An online “Sign Up Genius” was set up for people to volunteer. The response was overwhelming and the quality of the volunteers was phenomenal. Everyone was obviously very passionate about this project.

“It only rained on Saturday for a couple of hours and I was amazed that the people that were there did not leave and people continued to come. Again, there was passion.

“I noticed that several people came several times. They would come and later come back and bring someone else. It was interesting to stand back and just observe people’s reactions and conversations. Many that came were not even born when the war ended 43 years ago. A lot did not know anyone whose name was engraved on the wall. It was good to see parents bringing small children to honor our 58,318 fallen heroes and the three million men and women who served in Vietnam for their service and sacrifice. There were tears, hugs, many stories shared, laughter, reunions, and most of all, healing. I have never been a part of such well organized, community effort. It was a privilege to be a part of this sacred experience.”

Duguid described how she learned about The Wall and applied for it to be displayed in Wake Forest. “In 2015 the Military Order of the Purple Heart out of Henderson had The Wall. I know a lot of those guys from the Purple Heart Banquet and they told me all about it. I took my kids to the opening ceremony and got to hear Gen. Norman Gaddis speak for the first time. He was wonderful and we all laughed and cried. His story blew me away. My kids learned so much that day from talking to all the veterans that were there that day. We even went back later that weekend at their request.

“In December of that year when we were hosting the Purple Heart recipients for breakfast before the parade I was talking to Andy Roberson and Hartwell Wright, two of the Purple Heart recipients that were in charge of bringing the Wall to Henderson, and they said I should see if I could get the Wall in Wake Forest. I thought it was a fabulous idea. Knowing that 2017 would be our 10th year for the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation we thought this would be a great year to see if we would be lucky enough to host The Wall.

“I called first just to get our name out there and then I applied the first day the online registration was open. It was Memorial Day 2017. Then the waiting began. Originally they said we would hear in October, then came November. I called to check on the status and just to make sure they knew we really wanted to host. Then it was the beginning of December and I finally got the call we had been waiting for. We had been selected.

“More than 130 applications had been filed and they only selected 38 and we were the only one in NC. It was such an honor to be selected and The Wall Committee we formed, the town, and Kip Padgett helped to make this event one we won’t soon forget. The more than 100 volunteers worked tirelessly to pull off this 24-hour four-day event. They deserve a huge thank you. Many of them came every day and stayed longer than their shift if it was busy. This community is incredible! I’m so proud to live here in Wake Forest and be part of such a loving and giving town.”

Mayor Vivian Jones thanked everyone. “Wake Forest was certainly honored to have the Wall here in our community. It would not have happened without the dedication of Mandy and Greg and the other members of the Purple Heart Foundation. I am especially proud of how hard the town employees worked to make the event work from beginning to end. I am also proud that, once again, the residents of Wake Forest showed that we are a caring, beautiful community by volunteering night and day to make the Wall a valuable, memorable experience for so many.”