From Battle Creek Enquirer: King took stand against war
Quote:
"Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read: Vietnam.
". . . It (the poorer class) was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions. . . . We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them 8,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia.
". . . The Vietnamese must see Americans as strange liberators. The Vietnamese people proclaimed their own independence in 1945 after a combined French and Japanese occupation. . . . For nine years we vigorously supported the French in their abortive effort to recolonize Vietnam."
The above are excerpts from Martin Luther King's 1967 speech on the Vietnam war. Since there had been no declaration of war by Congress and the "enemy" nation was small, backward and far, far away, many Americans in 1967 could not find the battle zone on a world map. Nor did many Americans understand the nature of the conflict.
The Vietnam war claimed 58,000 American lives and estimates of Vietnamese casualties vary - some estimate as high as 1 million dead. The U.S. was carpet bombing the country, dropping napalm and spraying the very toxic chemical Agent Orange as a defoliant. The U.S. military ordered the burning of villages.
Of late, many conservatives and war-mongers want to turn Vietnam into a "good" and necessary war. But as King points out, we were on the wrong side of the Vietnam war - on the side of French colonialists and self-serving dictators. Moreover, many prominent conservatives chose not to fight in the Vietnam war - George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, Newt Gingrich and Clarence Thomas, to name just a few.
As the Martin Luther King holiday approaches, we should remember his brave stand against the unjust, immoral war in Vietnam and also his advocating for economic justice.
R. Heubel
Battle Creek
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Ground broken on statue to honor Vietnam nurse
From The Times-Tribune: Ground broken on statue to honor Vietnam nurse
Second Lt. Carol Ann Drazba began her nursing career at the Scranton State General Hospital.
In 1966, the Army nurse was killed during the Vietnam War.
Now the Dunmore native will be forever remembered at the site where she learned the profession that she loved.
A ceremonial groundbreaking into the icy sod on Wednesday outside the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center marked what has been a more than two-year process in securing funds and a site for a statue that will honor Lt. Drazba, who died at age 22 in a helicopter crash near Saigon in 1966. She and another nurse in the crash became the first female service members to die in Vietnam.
"This is where she began," said Friends of the Forgotten member Kim Atkinson, who has led the project. "This is where she will stay. ... She will be here to watch over her patients."
On Wednesday, the local chapter of Friends of the Forgotten received the last portion of the $65,000 it needed for the memorial.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area presented the group with a $10,000 check. The donation fits with the group's mission to preserve the area's heritage, which includes honoring its people, said Natalie Gelb, the group's executive director.
"It's an honor to be able to recognize someone of national significance, who has contributed so much," she said.
Wednesday's groundbreaking was a joyous occasion for Mrs. Atkinson, who as a student nurse, learned of Lt. Drazba's story because of a plaque located in the Scranton State General Hospital.
The memorial for Lt. Drazba will be located at Mulberry Street and Franklin Avenue, at the corner of the Merli Center property, the former site of the hospital.
The six-foot-tall statue will depict Lt. Drazba holding a Florence Nightingale lantern. The site also will include a miniature version of the Vietnam Wall and granite benches. Work should be finished in June, Mrs. Atkinson said.
The group had originally broken ground for the statue in April 2011 outside St. Joseph's Center offices in Dunmore. The plan fell through, and Mrs. Atkinson approached the Merli Center.
Lt. Drazba's sister, Joanne Katula, was only 23 when her sister died. On Wednesday, she scraped a golden shovel on the icy ground.
"It's full circle," she said. "She'll be forever here."
Engraved pavers also will be part of the memorial, and are available for $100. For more information, call Anne Domin at 842-9653.
Second Lt. Carol Ann Drazba began her nursing career at the Scranton State General Hospital.
In 1966, the Army nurse was killed during the Vietnam War.
Now the Dunmore native will be forever remembered at the site where she learned the profession that she loved.
A ceremonial groundbreaking into the icy sod on Wednesday outside the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center marked what has been a more than two-year process in securing funds and a site for a statue that will honor Lt. Drazba, who died at age 22 in a helicopter crash near Saigon in 1966. She and another nurse in the crash became the first female service members to die in Vietnam.
"This is where she began," said Friends of the Forgotten member Kim Atkinson, who has led the project. "This is where she will stay. ... She will be here to watch over her patients."
On Wednesday, the local chapter of Friends of the Forgotten received the last portion of the $65,000 it needed for the memorial.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area presented the group with a $10,000 check. The donation fits with the group's mission to preserve the area's heritage, which includes honoring its people, said Natalie Gelb, the group's executive director.
"It's an honor to be able to recognize someone of national significance, who has contributed so much," she said.
Wednesday's groundbreaking was a joyous occasion for Mrs. Atkinson, who as a student nurse, learned of Lt. Drazba's story because of a plaque located in the Scranton State General Hospital.
The memorial for Lt. Drazba will be located at Mulberry Street and Franklin Avenue, at the corner of the Merli Center property, the former site of the hospital.
The six-foot-tall statue will depict Lt. Drazba holding a Florence Nightingale lantern. The site also will include a miniature version of the Vietnam Wall and granite benches. Work should be finished in June, Mrs. Atkinson said.
The group had originally broken ground for the statue in April 2011 outside St. Joseph's Center offices in Dunmore. The plan fell through, and Mrs. Atkinson approached the Merli Center.
Lt. Drazba's sister, Joanne Katula, was only 23 when her sister died. On Wednesday, she scraped a golden shovel on the icy ground.
"It's full circle," she said. "She'll be forever here."
Engraved pavers also will be part of the memorial, and are available for $100. For more information, call Anne Domin at 842-9653.
What did heroin addiction during the Vietnam war teach us about breaking bad habits?Fr
om Business Insider: What did heroin addiction during the Vietnam war teach us about breaking bad habits?
There's a great story on NPR that shows just how important context is in maintaining (and ending) bad habits:
According to her research, the number of soldiers who continued their heroin addiction once they returned to the U.S. was shockingly low.
"I believe the number of people who actually relapsed to heroin use in the first year was about 5 percent," Jaffe said recently from his suburban Maryland home. In other words, 95 percent of the people who were addicted in Vietnam did not become re-addicted when they returned to the United States.
This flew in the face of everything everyone knew both about heroin and drug addiction generally. When addicts were treated in the U.S. and returned to their homes, relapse rates hovered around 90 percent. It didn't make sense.
And:
In this way, Neal says, our environments come to unconsciously direct our behavior. Even behaviors that we don't want, like smoking.
"For a smoker the view of the entrance to their office building — which is a place that they go to smoke all the time — becomes a powerful mental cue to go and perform that behavior," Neal says.
And over time those cues become so deeply ingrained that they are very hard to resist. And so we smoke at the entrance to work when we don't want to. We sit on the couch and eat ice cream when we don't need to, despite our best intentions, despite our resolutions.
"We don't feel sort of pushed by the environment," Wood says. "But, in fact, we're very integrated with it."
To battle bad behaviors then, one answer, Neal and Wood say, is to disrupt the environment in some way. Even small change can help — like eating the ice cream with your non-dominant hand. What this does is alter the action sequence and disrupts the learned body sequence that's driving the behavior, which allows your conscious mind to come back online and reassert control.
"It's a brief sort of window of opportunity," Wood says, "to think, 'Is this really what I want to do?' "
There's a great story on NPR that shows just how important context is in maintaining (and ending) bad habits:
According to her research, the number of soldiers who continued their heroin addiction once they returned to the U.S. was shockingly low.
"I believe the number of people who actually relapsed to heroin use in the first year was about 5 percent," Jaffe said recently from his suburban Maryland home. In other words, 95 percent of the people who were addicted in Vietnam did not become re-addicted when they returned to the United States.
This flew in the face of everything everyone knew both about heroin and drug addiction generally. When addicts were treated in the U.S. and returned to their homes, relapse rates hovered around 90 percent. It didn't make sense.
And:
In this way, Neal says, our environments come to unconsciously direct our behavior. Even behaviors that we don't want, like smoking.
"For a smoker the view of the entrance to their office building — which is a place that they go to smoke all the time — becomes a powerful mental cue to go and perform that behavior," Neal says.
And over time those cues become so deeply ingrained that they are very hard to resist. And so we smoke at the entrance to work when we don't want to. We sit on the couch and eat ice cream when we don't need to, despite our best intentions, despite our resolutions.
"We don't feel sort of pushed by the environment," Wood says. "But, in fact, we're very integrated with it."
To battle bad behaviors then, one answer, Neal and Wood say, is to disrupt the environment in some way. Even small change can help — like eating the ice cream with your non-dominant hand. What this does is alter the action sequence and disrupts the learned body sequence that's driving the behavior, which allows your conscious mind to come back online and reassert control.
"It's a brief sort of window of opportunity," Wood says, "to think, 'Is this really what I want to do?' "
Monday, January 9, 2012
Ron Paul and Newt fight about Vietnam draft
From the Examiner, Washington.com: Ron Paul and Newt fight about Vietnam draft
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Newt Gingrich tangled early about their respective Vietnam war service, with Paul talking about a "pet peeve" he has when politicians talk about war without having served in the military -- and deriding Newt for not serving in Vietnam -- and a visibly angry Newt criticizing Paul's facts and talking about his family history.
"I'm trying to stop the war, but at least I went when they called me up," Paul said in a sharp critique of Gingrich, who replied that he was married with a child at the time he would have gone to Vietnam, but that his father served at Vietnam.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of what it's like, as a family, to worry about your father getting killed," Gingrich said in response to Paul, who had implied that politicians don't think enough about the suffering caused by war.
Paul hit back pretty effectively, pointing out that when he went to Vietnam, "I was married and had two kids," which drew applause.
"I wasn't eligible for the draft," Gingrich replied, before the moderators changed the topic.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Newt Gingrich tangled early about their respective Vietnam war service, with Paul talking about a "pet peeve" he has when politicians talk about war without having served in the military -- and deriding Newt for not serving in Vietnam -- and a visibly angry Newt criticizing Paul's facts and talking about his family history.
"I'm trying to stop the war, but at least I went when they called me up," Paul said in a sharp critique of Gingrich, who replied that he was married with a child at the time he would have gone to Vietnam, but that his father served at Vietnam.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of what it's like, as a family, to worry about your father getting killed," Gingrich said in response to Paul, who had implied that politicians don't think enough about the suffering caused by war.
Paul hit back pretty effectively, pointing out that when he went to Vietnam, "I was married and had two kids," which drew applause.
"I wasn't eligible for the draft," Gingrich replied, before the moderators changed the topic.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Boker Tov, Vietnam!
From the Jerusalem Post: Boker Tov, Vietnam!
HO CHI MINH CITY – When the second of two Indo-China wars finally ended in 1975, who would have dreamed that war-ravaged Vietnam would become one of the most “in” destinations for western tourists and that American and French Jews, as well as Israelis, would be flocking to this Southeast Asian land.
And the number keeps rising. According to Rabbi Menachem Hartmen of Chabad Jewish Center, now in its second home in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), about 20,000 Jewish tourists, business persons and Israeli government officials – including President Shimon Peres on an official state visit this past November – tour this country of an estimated 90 million persons every year.
Vietnam today is a very “in” place. Historic pagodas and the graceful curves of French colonial buildings, structures with Chinese motifs and American-style high rises dot cities and countryside. Hotels and restaurants have been returned to the private sector. The tourist industry is growing at almost 20 percent annually. And millions of visitors are drawn to this land each year.
One reason is that Vietnam has been described as “a fashion maven’s paradise.”
Indeed it is not uncommon for tourists to actually buy an extra suitcase for purchases.
After visiting Saigon’s Ben Thanh market this seems like a prudent move: booth after booth, section upon section of clothes, textiles and tchotchkes – everything imaginable.
Overstock.com and eBay have nothing on this open-air shopper haven, price-wise and commodity-wise.
Walking the now peaceful streets of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), I realized what other travel writers before me understood: this metropolis on the Saigon river remains fast-moving and exciting, especially in the large ethnic Chinese section, Cholon, which adds to the city’s cosmopolitanism.
The sounds and pace of Saigon get to you immediately, frenetic, energetic, hectic and loud, a reminder of New York City or Tel Aviv.
During long walks in the early evening, I notice streets packed with pedestrians. At night, tourists flock to the Rex Hotel at the corner of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue boulevard, and ride up to the popular rooftop bar which during the Vietnam War served as a watering hole for journalists. The view is magnificent; this is after all, “the Paris of the Orient.”
Down below you can observe the rivers of motor bikes moving through city streets.
Every visitor to HCMC and Hanoi remembers those “darn” motorbikes. Stand at any corner and you, too, will be mesmerized by the swarms of motor bikes, their bee-like sounds ringing in your ears. Getting across major intersections is like trying to dodge the traffic swarming around Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.
Today’s scooter-propelled youth hold no animosity for Americans or Westerners. The war’s long over. People in the city and country want to become a prosperous nation, not a battlefield. This is good, especially for American seniors who though cognizant of the nearly four-decade interval in historical memory since the end of the Vietnam conflict, note that today, the two former combatants, (the US and Vietnam) now hold joint naval maneuvers in the South China Sea.
Still, the Vietnamese government does not want its populace to forget its battle with the French and Americans. Tourists quickly learn that history often belongs to the victor. At the War Remnants Museum and the famous Cu Chi tunnels, visitors are shown propaganda films, observe captured American war booty and underground passageways.
The war also was covered extensively in Israel, including articles by Moshe Dayan who in 1966 commented on the conflict for Israeli newspapers and often went out with US Marine reconnaissance patrols. But that was yesterday.
Today, this Communist government has long opened to the West, bringing opportunities to American Jewish and Israeli entrepreneurs, including at least several dozen Israeli companies; as well as Israeli doctors working in clinics and treating burn victims, for instance. Approximately 300 Jews declare Vietnam as their temporary home.
Amazingly, in six decades of foreign travel, I had never come across a Jewish community where the entire kehila, including the rabbi, is from somewhere else.
About 200 Jews reside in HCMC and 100 in the capital, Hanoi. According to Rabbi Hartman, one-third are American expats, one-third Israelis and one-third from throughout the world. Many of the Americans are engaged in what is commonly known as “the shmate business, a flashback to the days when New York’s island of Manhattan was the world capital of the garment industry.
Welcoming Jewish tourists and residents in HCMC is Chabad Jewish Center, now in its second home at Nguyen Dinh Chieu St. 5A (Villa) District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Chabad phone: (+84) 08-391-00181; e-mail: chabadvietnam@gmail.com.
Rabbi Hartman, who was born in Kiryat Malachi, and his wife Rachel have three children, Levi, Chaim and Effi. He says that while there is intermarriage among the expats, there are no converted Vietnamese Jews. He pointed out in an interview that the “Vietnamese like us; they welcome us, because they like to think of themselves as the Jews of Asia, as well as nation of the book.”
Kosher food can be obtained at Chabad every day. The organization supplies kosher meals for singles or groups at their hotels.
Friday night and Saturday morning services attract many, as do all the holiday celebrations.
More than 60 people show up for the Friday night Shabbat meal. Activities are offered at Chabad, including a woman’s group, a Torah study group, a youth group, a singles group, a weekly Hebrew school which includes art classes, and weekly classes for adults.
While visiting Vietnam, I participated in the Second Seder, (less formal than the First, which was attended by about 150 persons in a large center city hotel). American businesspersons and tourists, Israeli backpackers and French students agreed that Vietnam was certainly an exotic community to recall the exodus from Egypt, as well as a place, far, far from home.
At the seder, I learned that not everyone is here to make money, at least outwardly.
Some, I am told, have fled what one might call the “American drive for the almighty dollar.” They desired to escape American life and its so-called “proverbial rat race.”
They have been drawn to the perceived, exotic Vietnamese way of life.
Rabbi Hartman opened the first Chabad center in 2006 when there were about 60 Jews in Vietnam. Before he came, chabbadniks went from city to city, making contacts and finding out Jewish names. He claimed there were about sixty Jews in Vietnam in 2006.
Jews, of course, arrived in Vietnam before the US Army and before Chabad. They entered Indochina with the French in the latter half of the 19th century and settled in Saigon. In the 1880s Jewish soldiers and officers fought in the French Army in the Tonkin campaign. In 1939, the total Jewish population in Haiphong, Hanoi, Saigon and Tourane numbered about 1,000 individuals, as well as 80 Jews in Tonkin. They would suffer under Vichy France. After World War II, with the return of French Republic rule, an estimated 1,500 Jews called Vietnam their home, a home which they fled with the after the disastrous battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
Plans are in the making to establish a Chabad center in Hanoi, though even now, the organization sponsors activities in the capital of this country, a country which certainly is cognizant of its cultural diversity, due in no small part to its geographical location. Vietnam is situated on the eastern portion of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered on the north by China, on the west by Laos and Cambodia, and on the east by the South China Sea. Vietnamese children are taught in school that their country takes the form of an elongated letter “S.”
So, tourists should not linger too long in Saigon. Visit the country’s beautiful beaches, trek through hills and valleys. Fly or drive to the ancient capital of Hue to see the Citadel; it’s quieter there. Move on to Hanoi where visitors attend a performance at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Shop in the Old Quarter. Cruise in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Even dead people draw a crowd in Hanoi.
Travelers are constantly lined up in front of the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the Communist leader of North Vietnam. I recalled that in previous years, I had visited the embalmed Lenin in Red Square, and Mao Tse-tung in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
On my trip to Vietnam, I paid a visit to see Ho. And no, he does not roll over in his tomb at the sight of so many Americans and Westerners lined up to view him in state.
Indeed, a small example that interest in Vietnam has risen is that the “Southeast Asia through Jewish Eyes Tour,” led by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, creator of the “Journey Through Jewish Eyes” travel program has increased in numbers to the Far East, including Vietnam.
I hope he tells him to watch out for the motorbikes.
Ben G. Frank, journalist, travel writer, is the author of the just-published, The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond, Globe Pequot Press; as well as A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe, 3rd edition; A Travel Guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine, and A Travel Guide to the Jewish Caribbean and South America.
Monday, January 2, 2012
PASSINGS: Kaye Stevens
Los Angeles Times: PASSINGS: Kaye Stevens
Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, 79, who performed with the Rat Pack and frequently appeared on Johnny Carson's late-night talk show, died Wednesday at Villages Hospital north of Orlando, Fla. She had breast cancer and blood clots, said her friend Gerry Schweitzer.
During the Vietnam War era, Stevens also performed for American soldiers in the war zone with Bob Hope's USO tour.
Rat Pack members she shared the stage with included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. She also sang solo at such venues as Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
She was born Catherine Louise Stephens in 1932 in Pittsburgh and eventually moved to Cleveland, where she got her start in her teens as a drummer and singer. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato and performed with him in the eastern U.S.
From 1974 to 1979, Stevens portrayed Jeri Clayton on "Days of Our Lives." She also was a regular on TV game shows and appeared in about a dozen television and movie projects, including "The New Interns" (1964) and "Jaws 3" (1983).
A longtime resident of Margate, Fla., Stevens had started her own ministry.
Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, 79, who performed with the Rat Pack and frequently appeared on Johnny Carson's late-night talk show, died Wednesday at Villages Hospital north of Orlando, Fla. She had breast cancer and blood clots, said her friend Gerry Schweitzer.
During the Vietnam War era, Stevens also performed for American soldiers in the war zone with Bob Hope's USO tour.
Rat Pack members she shared the stage with included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. She also sang solo at such venues as Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
She was born Catherine Louise Stephens in 1932 in Pittsburgh and eventually moved to Cleveland, where she got her start in her teens as a drummer and singer. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato and performed with him in the eastern U.S.
From 1974 to 1979, Stevens portrayed Jeri Clayton on "Days of Our Lives." She also was a regular on TV game shows and appeared in about a dozen television and movie projects, including "The New Interns" (1964) and "Jaws 3" (1983).
A longtime resident of Margate, Fla., Stevens had started her own ministry.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Southaven, MS: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
From the Commercial Appeal: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
Southaven, a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 28,977. The 2010 census reflected a population of 48,982, making Southaven the fourth largest city in Mississippi. Southaven is traversed from north to south by the I-55 freeway. While its name would indicate otherwise, the city of Southaven is actually in the northernmost corner of Mississippi. The name derives from the fact that Southaven is located south of Whitehaven, Memphis.
From the Commercial Appeal: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
Come January, strategy for planning DeSoto's May salute to Vietnam War-era veterans turns to committee meetings and the details of a massive undertaking.
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
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