The Traveling Vietnam Memorial came to Brazil, Indiana last week, which is in the next county over from Terre Haute. The Traveling Memorial is a 2/5 scale replica of the Wall Memorial in Washington, D.C. It stands 6-feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.
While I’ve been to the actual Wall in D.C., this one was just as powerful (maybe more so). Seeing local residents leaving notes and flowers and American flags alongside the panels with their loved one’s names was incredibly moving.
While I visited the Traveling Memorial, I met Bruce Whipple, a Vietnam veteran, originally from Traverse City, Michigan. Bruce brought his display of uniforms and memorabilia from his time in Vietnam. Talking to this man about his experiences and seeing the photos of his 18-year-old self in Vietnam brought me to tears a few times. As I shook his hand and thanked him for his service and sharing his memories, he told me to look him up if I’m ever in his town.
“We can sit on the porch and talk some more. … My wife is tired of hearing my stories and my cat doesn’t talk back,” he said.