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Traveling Vietnam War Memorial on Display in Midcoast for Holiday

The Moving Wall
Keith Shortall/MPBN
The Moving Wall

The midcoast town of Thomaston is expecting an influx of visitors this Memorial Day weekend…who will come to experience “The Moving Wall.” It’s a 252 foot, half- size replica of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC, and it’s on tour where Knox Museum serves as host.

The Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston set-up for the Memorial Day Ceremony
Credit Keith Shortall/MPBN
The Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston set-up for the Memorial Day Ceremony

Its called the Moving Wall — and for many visitors — its exactly that.

“It’s sad, he was looking for a lot of the guys that were in the service with him,” says Carol Michalski who is there with her husband, veteran Bob Michalski.

“If you see the name your remember him,” says Bob.

The Michalskis live in nearby Owl’s Head. Bob served in the Air Force during the Korean War, he got out before Vietnam, but some of the men he served with went on to fight and die there.

Carol and Bob Michalski (l. to r.)
Credit Keith Shortall/MPBN
Carol and Bob Michalski (l. to r.)

“All I could think of all the families that suffered over this,” says Carol Michalski. “Can you imagine how that Affected millions of people? Girlfriends? Husbands? Wives? Imagine and it’s like which of these guys were in those torture chambers? Jeez, it blows your mind.”

“Most of them were young men under 20 years old,” Bob Michalski says. “That’s the sad part.”

The Moving Wall has toured the US for 30 years, but has never been to this part of Maine

“Knox County. Its never been this far up before. So its an excellent opportunity for people who are never going to get down to actually see the wall,” says Delores Allen, Assistant to the Director of the Knox Museum, which itself is a replica of the home of General Henry Knox, secretary of War under George Washington.

Allen says while there is sadness in the memories re-awakened by the wall it’s also meant as a symbol of respect and honor for those whose names are etched into the smooth black plates.

“We just want everybody to come and enjoy this,” says Allen. “Especially the school kids.”

“My reaction is that it’s really sad, but it makes me feel good inside because they risked their lives for our freedom,” says Paige Lafrenaye. She’s a sixth grader at Nobleboro Central School.

Quinn Prentice, Paige Lafrenaye, Brian Lawrence (l. to r.)
Credit Keith Shortall/MPBN
Quinn Prentice, Paige Lafrenaye, Brian Lawrence (l. to r.)

Lafrenaye has come with some of her classmates to experience the memorial. Quinn Prentice says its important that the lives of those lost in the war not be taken for granted.

“Yeah we forget about the people that risked their lives for us,” Prentice says. “And we sometimes don’t thank them.”

“Its traumatizing really,” says Nobleboro 8th grader Brian Lawrence. “Just to see all the names, even though they got picked from the draft and didn’t want to fight, they had to. And to see them all gone, passed away, it’s just bad.”

And this post-Vietnam army vet from East Machias, who asked to remain anonymous, looked on as school groups from around the region lined up to view the wall, “I hope they get something out of it and I hope they don’t think its just a day off from school. I hope they think about it.”

Stephen A Shortall, Cousin to MPBN News Director Keith Shortall
Credit Keith Shortall/MPBN
Stephen A Shortall, Cousin to MPBN News Director Keith Shortall

Of the more than 58,000 soldiers whose names are on the wall 343 were from Maine. Admission to The Moving Wall is free and open 24 hours a day through Monday at the Knox Museum in Thomaston, which is also holding a series of events and ceremonies during the weekend.