CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) The American Traveling Tribute Wall arrived in Clarksville Wednesday as part of the Welcome Home Veterans Celebration in Clarksville. There are numerous events taking place to celebrate and honor veterans.
Link: Welcome Home Veterans Celebration Week events and activities.
The Traveling Wall is an 80 percent scale version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. The wall is 360 feet long, eight feet tall at its highest point, and contains the names of every name that is etched on the original monument.
A light rain did nothing to dampen the spirit of those escorting the wall from Appleton Harley Davidson through downtown Clarksville which will be on display at Beachaven Winery. The wall will be open for public display beginning at noon on Thursday, September 14 and will be open 24 hours a day until 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 17.
The Eyes of Freedom Traveling Memorial was also part of the procession and will be on display at Beachaven Winery. The memorial depicts the fallen Marines and Navy Corpsmen of Columbus, Ohio based LimaCompany 3/25, one of the most heavily engaged units of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.
The Patriot Guard, Combat Vets Motorcycle Association, Legacy Vets, Vietnam Vets, Reboot Riders, American Legion Riders, Corvettes of Clarksville, and a group of Fort Campbell Soldiers were part of the escort for the Traveling Tribute Wall and Eyes of Freedom Traveling Memorial.
One Vietnam Veteran, Woody Jensen who served in the Marines talked about what the veterans celebration meant to him. “I would say it’s been in the making for about 40 years and it’s about time the Vietnam Veterans get recognized. We never had the recognition when we first come home. It means a lot, it really does,” said Jensen.
