Replica Vietnam wall comes to Streamwood
The Vietnam War memorial wall set up in Streamwood Friday was a replica, but the emotions it provoked in Bill Lunsford were nothing less than genuine.
"It really is a sobering experience for me," said Lunsford, an Elgin resident and Army reservist with the Darien-based 416th Engineering Command based in Darien, as he watched the wall go up.
For Lunsford, who served in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004 and is a member of the Streamwood Veterans Memorial Commission, Memorial Day has special meaning. His brother served three tours in Vietnam, and his son William, who's due home this weekend for a 15-day leave, is currently serving in Iraq.
The traveling wall - about half the size of the original in Washington, D.C., and containing all 58,256 names of U.S. servicemen and women who died in the war - has been displayed in Streamwood about every other year. Those who've visited in the past have left mementos like medals and flags, which are on display at Village Hall.
The first version of the replica at Streamwood was created 15 years ago by Stan Adler of Lake County Vetz, a homeless veterans support group. Using a microfiche reader, Adler stuck photographs of the Washington, D.C. wall's panels on his replica's wooden frame. Today's memorial is made of aluminum.
He said there are actually three traveling wall replicas. His memorial tours the country, mostly from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. He notes that his original wooden wall was first displayed in Streamwood.
"A lot of veterans can't actually go to Washington. This gives them the opportunity to see this wall," Adler said.
Visitors this weekend will be able to look up names by use of computers on site.
A 24-hour vigil guard at the Streamwood Veterans Memorial monuments begins at 11 a.m. today. A changing of the guard will take place every hour, culminating with the village's annual Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday. The wall, located next to village hall at 310 E. Irving Park Road, will be on display until 7 p.m. Monday.