Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Vietnam Memorial Wall On Display On South Coast; Replica Of National Monument In Washington, D.C.

Dozens of Vietnam veterans are busy on the front lawn of the Ventura County Government Center, assembling a tribute to their friends in uniform who paid the ultimate price for the country.

The Moving Wall is a 256 foot long, half size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Like the national memorial, it contains the names of the more than 58,000 American who died in the conflict.

Even as the wall is still being assembled Thursday morning, it brings out emotions for those who served.

Jess Gutierrez says he almost became one of the names on the wall, and one of his friends is on it. He was badly wounded by a mine, and a friend died. Manuel Gonzales of Oxnard is a former Marine who served in Vietnam in 1964 and 1965. He says the wall includes the names of 111 Ventura County men who died in Vietnam.

Many of the Ventura County veterans here for the Vietnam memorial admit that it was fate, or luck that they are alive today, instead of being another name on the wall. Joe Richardson was in a foxhole area which was hit by lighting. He was tossed out of it, and a friend was killed instantly. He says one of the important things about the wall’s visit is helping generations not even alive when the Vietnam War occurred understand the sacrifice.

The Moving Wall will be available for visitors around the clock until Monday afternoon, on the front lawn of the Ventura County Government Center. In addition to the moving wall, there is also a second memorial next to it created by artist George Sandoval, which honors the 111 Ventura County Vietnam War dead.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
Related Stories