The town of Camp Verde will be hosting a traveling version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for its Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day celebration from March 28-31.
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day is held on March 29, and this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the day the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam in 1973.
On Tuesday, March 28, there will be an escort for the traveling wall starting at the Cliff Castle Casino parking lot. The Yavapai-Apache Nation will raise their flag at the Veterans Memorial Park, which will be followed by a blessing of the bikes that will then depart to escort the wall.
The wall, which is part of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute program, is an 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The program will also include the Cost of Freedom Tribute, which will honor the names of casualties in each of the United States’s other modern wars.
After the wall is set up, there will be a soft opening ceremony, followed by other activities including an 1880s-style nondenominational service with breakfast, an American Legion honors ride, the “History of the Soldier” program at Fort Verde State Park, a community cookout and the main welcome home ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, March 29.
Friday, March 31, will be celebrated as Native American Veterans Recognition Day. This is the first time that a day of commemoration for American Indian veterans will be recognized in conjunction with any traveling wall. There will be a tribal blessing, traditional foods, presentations and dancers.
“It’s been long overdue,” said Sheila Stubler, WHVVD Volunteer Chair. “They’ve served in our military for 200 years and they’ve not been recognized.”
Stubler argued that this event is an opportunity to show support for veterans who returned from Vietnam to opposition and protests over their actions in Vietnam.
“This is a chance for the communities in the Verde Valley and northern Arizona to give back to our veterans and to show them that we support them,” Stubler said.
Fort Verde will be holding flag raising and lowering ceremonies every day at 9:00 a.m., starting on March 29, and at 5:00 p.m., which will be carried out by the VFW, Marine Corps League and other posts from across the Verde Valley.
Once the wall is up, it will be open to visitors 24/7 before officially closing at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 2.
