The Wall that Heals
On April 4, 2009, the Club had a ride to visit "The Wall that Heals." This is a traveling display that includes a half-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Although windy the weather was ok, the ride included about a dozen bikes. Road Captain Rick planned the trip which included several stops to pick up riders, in keeping with the Rolling Thunder model.
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The group keeps a nice staggered formation spread about 1/2 mile on the way to the display. |
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The Wall begins as it comes out of the ground and grows to its tallest height at the center. The names of veterans that lost their lives are listed in order of their deaths. This view shows the later years of the war KIA. |
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In trailers that house displays and information on aspects of the war, friends and relatives can look up names, then are given locations of the names on the Wall. Here is a lady with such a print out as another points out a name... |
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One of the design features of the Wall is that onlookers see their reflections as they look at the names on the Wall. Reflections occur both visibly and on behalf of those named on the Wall when standing near it! |
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The driver of the truck that transports this display has a Harley that has been painted and adorned with artifacts and other aspects of the war. Among the scenes depicted on the surfaces of the bike, you notice flames, bamboo rack signifying POWs, the Vietnamese flag, and the "Tailgunner" exhausts. |
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The group posed by the Vietnam Memorial Bike. |