This morning with some of my chapter members, I provided a small service for Vietnam veterans, their families and friends. The traveling wall is in Wilmington for the weekend and two of my sisters and I had signed up to help locate names on the wall from 9am til 1pm.
Our job was to use the provided books to find the panel and line for the fallen, so that those who came to pay their respects could find the names they sought on the wall. The listings had the service branch, rank, birth dates and places, and death dates for all these young men, many of whom were only twenty years old. This information made them real for us. Some mourners came with a list of names, some only had nicknames, some only remembered the last name and the death date. We searched every possible spelling and in every possible way to find the correct person. Because of similar names and no knowledge of the birthdate or place, one we identified by his rank.
I cannot say I enjoyed the time there, but it did leave me with a sense of duty accomplished. It was difficult to hear their stories which they openly and willingly shared. It was heart wrenching to watch people kneel and touch a name. It was painful to see the pain in their eyes and watch white-haired men struggle to hold back their tears. The atmosphere was both reverent and patriotic. Being a look up volunteer was so little to do for our fallen, their friends and families. It you have the opportunity to serve in this capacity, please do not miss it. You won’t regret it.
Carole Weiss, State Regent
