With a motorcycle and police escort, The Moving Wall arrived in Hazel Crest just after 9 Thursday morning.
A crowd of nearly 100 congregated under clear skies in the parking lot behind the Village Hall to watch the construction of the half-size replica of Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Wall. It will be on display through Monday.
As the panels carrying the names of more than 58,000 soldiers either killed or gone missing during the war were unpacked, Roscoe Bunn paused to reflect.
“This is a very special honor,” said the decorated Army veteran who lives in Matteson. Two of his high school buddies, one from Robbins, the other Harvey, were killed in action during that war, he said.
“After 50-plus years, well, they’re finally getting their due,” said Bunn, a member of VFW Post 311 and a Harley Davidson rider in the Upsetters Motorcycle Club.
Bunn’s luck was better. Military service in Vietnam enabled him to later pursue an education, start a business and raise a family.
Still, he added, “That war changed me.”
Bunn said he was proud that The Moving Wall had traveled to the south suburbs of Chicago.
“Most people are not aware of the costs of the war to minorities. We had African-Americans from this area who received the Medal of Honor in Vietnam,” he said. “Those things are paramount for kids to know, to help them develop a sense of pride, not hate. We can’t do enough of these kinds of things.”
Hazel Crest Mayor Vernard Alsberry Jr. welcomed those in the escort and set-up brigade, which included members of the Upsetters Motorcycle Club, local police and local veterans groups, as well as onlookers from as far away as Elgin and residents from down the street.
“This gives us a chance to honor vets who live in Hazel Crest and across the region,” Alsberry said.
After President Obama signed the 50th Vietnam War Commemoration declaration, calling on the country to recognize and celebrate Vietnam veterans through 2025, Hazel Crest signed on as an official member. Part of the commitment requires the village to sponsor two veterans activities. Hosting The Moving Wall is one of them, Alsberry said.
Official festivities are planned for Saturday, when Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and representatives from VFW Post 311 and American Legion District 8 will speak and present lapel pins and certificates to local veterans and family members,
E. Lamar Rogers, an Army veteran who did three tours in Vietnam and now chairs the Hazel Crest Vietnam War Commemoration, said, “This is a way for us to thank Vietnam vets for their service and give them the thanks they didn’t get when they came home.”
Delphine Cherry of Hazel Crest and Chris Hansley of Tinley Park stopped by out of curiosity and respect, the women said.
Several of Cherry’s relatives served in the military and Hansley, a member of the Tinley Park veterans commission, said she would have served during Vietnam had bad eyesight not kept her out of the military.
“It’s awesome that this memorial would come to a small village like Hazel Crest,” Cherry said.
Melvin Knazze is a Navy veteran who now lives on Chicago’s Southeast Side and is a member of the Buffalo Troopers, an organization that honors African-American soldiers who served in the 9th and 10th cavalries.
“We’re here to honor all of these soldiers. These were young guys who were killed. They need to be remembered for their service, even though the country did not appreciate them at the time,” he said.
Vietnam vets, he said, were greeted with hostility and misplaced blame when they returned to the States.
“It was a really traumatic time. There was lots of turmoil, especially for African-Americans, who had to deal with all the (civil rights) stuff going on, too,” he said. “But now we understand that most of these guys weren’t volunteers; they were drafted. America called upon them to do this. And America needs to honor them for doing it.”
At 9 a.m. Saturday, 16 veteran organizations will participate in a parade starting at Palmer Lake and continuing along California Avenue to the Village Hall. At 10 a.m., the VFW Post 311 will raise the colors and Hillcrest High School students will sing the national anthem before officials’ speeches are delivered and wreaths will be laid for each of the branches of the armed forces as well as in memory of local residents killed in the war.
The Moving Wall is the brainchild of John Devitt, who along with Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and other Vietnam veteran volunteers, built the replica in Tyler, Texas, in 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the country from April through November, making stops for five to seven days.
The Hazel Crest Village Hall is at 3000 W. 170th Place; 708-335-9600; www.villageofhazelcrest.com/
For information on The Moving Wall, go to www.themovingwall.org
@dvickroy