The Moving Wall
The Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., has been touring the country since it first went on display in Tyler, Texas, in October of 1984. Nearly a quarter century and thousands of cities later, Marinette had the privilege of playing host to this moving memorial. Set to arrive in Marinette the summer of 2009, The Moving Wall was open for free, round-the-clock public viewing at the Marinette High School July 2, 2009, through July 6, 2009.
Site preparation took place on June 22, with city crews and volunteers working side-by-side to build the foundation, set up visitor tents, and put finishing touches on the viewing areas.
A dedication ceremony took place at 5pm on July 2, with the site opening to the public at 1pm earlier that day. A special Independence Day ceremony and celebration took place at 2pm on July 4.
Throughout the week, the site was illuminated and manned 24-hours a day, allowing the estimated 50,000 visitors to view the memorial round-the-clock. Public restrooms, as well as parking and assistance for the disabled and elderly, were available. While viewing was free, donation boxes were available on site. There was also memorabilia and concessions on the grounds. To aid visitors, volunteers had the ability to search through a computer database for a specific name, showing its exact position on the wall.
The Wall’s visit to Marinette ended with a formal closing ceremony at noon on July 6, 2009.