Sioux City Journal

Sioux Cityan to participate in Vietnam Wall event

By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, October 06, 2007

A Sioux Cityan will be one of nearly 2,000 volunteers taking part in the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. next month.

Ralph Swain, chairman of the Western Iowa Tech Humanities Division, will participate in the "Reading of the Names" ceremony, which will take place for 65 hours over a four-day period.

To kick off the event on Nov. 7, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi and Vietnam combat veteran U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., will open the 3 p.m. ceremony that will begin the reading of the 58,229 names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Volunteers will read 30 names as they appear on the wall, chronological by casualty date. The names will be read from 5 a.m. to midnight Nov. 8-10 at the wall. Swain will read his assigned names at 7:32 a.m. (EDT), Nov. 10.

It is the third time in the wall's history that the more than 58,000 names have been read aloud in Washington, D.C. In 1982 as part of the festivities to dedicate the memorial, the names were read at National Cathedral. In 1992 as part of the 10th anniversary activities, the names were read at the wall.

According to information from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which is coordinating the event, the activities will take place outdoors rain or shine. The group's annual Veterans Day observance will be held at 1 p.m., Nov. 11 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Today, it has developed a series of outreach programs dedicated to preserve the legacy of the wall, to promote healing and to educate about the impact of the Vietnam War.

Story Comments

Laura Lynn Yohe wrote on Oct 25, 2007 1:52 PM:

" Hello: I'm from Pennsylvania and the link to your article appeared on the VVMF website. I, too, will be among the readers for the 25th Anniversary of "The Wall". Your story states that this is the third time the names will be read, actually it is the fourth time. The first was 1982 at the National Cathedral, as stated, the second in 1992 at the Wall, and the third in 2002, also at the Wall. I'm among those privileged to be part of all the readings thus far. Thanks for sharing the word about this important milestone. For those who have not visited "The Wall" in person, it is a most remarkable experience, deeply solemn, and with the spirit of those who served and sacrificed ever in attendance. Thank you. "

Jim wrote on Oct 6, 2007 6:09 PM:

" There is a web site named The Virtual Wall at www.VirtualWall.org that allows relatives and friends of those who died in the Vietnam War to publish remembrances in the form of letters, poems, and photographs. The Virtual Wall is run by a not-for-profit group. "