My first visit to the Wall was on Monday and I was not prepared for the enormity of the emotion that a stark wall can bring out. More than a list of brothers and sisters forever locked in time, the Wall is a presence in the Here and Now, a stark reminder of what we as a society are doing when we commit our soldiers to a cause.
The Reading of the Names will take place for 65 hours over a four-day
period, during which nearly 2,000 volunteers will read the over 58,000 names
inscribed on The Wall in the order they were taken from us. The first reader
will be Hank Cramer, whose father, Harry Griffith Cramer, died in South Vietnam
in 1957. When The Wall was first dedicated, the names listing began at 1959.
Cramer’s name was added later. It is the second name that will be read on
Nov. 7.
The four days of readings will open with a Nov. 7 ceremony at the Memorial beginning at 3:00 p.m. Gordon Mansfield, Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will be the keynote speaker.
Wednesday, Nov. 7 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 8 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 9 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
1 comment:
I remember the first time I saw the Wall in person, it was about six years ago. I looked for the name of a young man from Neenah, WI. In the middle 60s I had lived in Neenah (ages 6-11) and had been friends with his younger brother.
I had never really met him, just saw him a couple times when playing with his brother ... he was gone before I had the chance. I just remember his funeral.
I found his name and -- I didn't expect this -- I began weeping.
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