Vietnam Memorial Wall arrives in Washington Twp. today
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
A local nonprofit group of motorcycle enthusiasts known for helping neighbors from the Mon Valley and beyond is honoring Vietnam veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service during the Vietnam War era.
Bikers Helping Others fundraised and organized bringing the The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company fire hall. It will be on display Thursday through Monday.
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is part of the nonprofit organization, Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard, located in Florida.
The Wall is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It stands 6 feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.
According to V.V.B, the traveling monument stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War.
The Wall contains more than 58,000 names of men and women who gave their lives during the Vietnam War or remain missing.
It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their hometown who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.
Before it is set up at the fire hall, the traveling monument will be ushered into the Fayette County township by a rally of motorcycles and other vehicles, such as first responder vehicles.
Cue the bike run.
Each year, Bikers Helping Others has a bike run and chooses a “theme” or cause to highlight and shine awareness upon, according to Janeen Sethman, secretary and one of BHO’s founding members.
For this year’s run, BHO’s members chose to pay tribute to those who served in and those who died in or as a result of the Vietnam War.
Bikers participating in the bike run today will escort the Wall from Bedford to the Washington Township Fire Hall. Sethman expects the Wall to arrive in Washington Township around 11:30 a.m. or noon.
Many of the bikers will meet at 7 a.m. at the GetGo in New Stanton before heading to Bedford to usher the traveling memorial into the Belle Vernon area. The procession starts around 10 a.m.
“We meet veterans everywhere we go,” Sethman said. “We just decided that we’re going to give them the thanks that we think they deserved. I think everybody thinks they deserved it and they never got it. They were treated poorly.
“This is just our way of putting out there and saying we appreciate every single one of you and we want you to know it. So we’re going to be as public as we can about it.”
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