BISHOP, CA: Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall on display May 27-June 2

[pinboy3niner]

(X-post from California forum)


Point Man Antelope Valley photo


A half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial will be on display in Bishop over the Memorial Day period (during Bishop's annual "Mule Days") from this Friday afternoon, May 27, until the morning of June 2. Engraved on the Wall are the names of the 58,272 U.S. servicemen and women we lost. Special forms and pencils will be available to make name rubbings.

LOCATION: The ballfield adjacent to Bishop Park. The park is located on Main Street, across from Erick Schat's Bakery.


TIME: From opening day this Friday until takedown June 2 the Wall will be open 24/7.


VOLUNTEERS WELCOME: Volunteers are welcome to help put up the panels during setup at noon this Friday, and to help with takedown around 10am June 2. People who wish to volunteer during the display period may see the local sponsors on-site at any time.

This replica (one of five traveling replicas operated by different organizations) is the Mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the Antelope Valley (the "AV Wall," for short), operated by Point Man Antelope Valley. It is the only one of the five that was created for local use; unlike the others, it does not travel the country. While Bishop is not in the defined display area for the AV Wall (it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from the Antelope Valley), an exception was made to display the AV Wall there in order to have the Wall displayed for Memorial Day.



The AV Wall convoy will arrive in Bishop between 11:30am and noon this Friday, accompanied by a motorcycle escort made up of Northern California and Southern California riders. If you're in Bishop at that time, don't look for a tractor-semitrailer. The AV Wall is entirely contained in this trailer, custom designed by Mike Bertell of Point Man Antelope Valley:


Photo by Yvette Castillo, a student at Lancaster High School


________________________________________________________

I will be onsite at the Wall in Bishop for the duration as a member of the AV Wall Team, and would love to meet any DUers who are in Bishop during that time. If you mention my username you'll be directed to me. I should be easy to spot:


Photo by Yvette Castillo

The photo was taken 2 days ago just before we took down the Wall after its display for 9 days at Lancaster High School in Lancaster CA. The students wanted a photo showing the medal they designed and had custom-made to present to veterans. I'd had very little sleep and was squinting against the sun. But, well-rested and without the sun in my eyes, I look about the same. :)

[Dystopian]

1. Thank you, pinboy3niner

For everything....

peace~

[pinboy3niner]

2. Love & Peace to you, my friend

Thinking of you and sending good vibes for you and your daughter. :hug:

[Iterate]

3. I sat in a church once.

It was in a little Austrian village in the Alps. I sat there daydreaming and admiring the architecture. It was Rococo I was told, gilded plasterwork brought to them by the Italians just over the border. It was very grand for such a small town and it was obvious they were having trouble keeping it repaired.

At the side of the altar was a list of carved names and dates. I knew the dates from the bigger battles of WWI with the Italians in the Alps. I also knew, more or less, the population of the town. It was obvious that nearly every male born in that town over a 15 year period had been killed in the war. There was another, shorter, list out in the village square for WWII.

Considering that everyone in those small villages tended to be somehow related, I would assume that everyone at mass every Sunday knew everyone on the memorial list. And every town around has the same.

I think your mobile wall is such a great idea, but beyond that I'm just damned curious as to how it's designed, how it's set up, and how you select the sites for display. It seems complicated at first thought, so someone must have thought a bit harder and longer to make it simple.

And a special thanks to Yvette.