American Veterans Traveling Tribute & Wall Returning to Somerset County in October

Veterans and active members of America’s armed services travel great distances and make great sacrifices to preserve and protect freedom and liberty. How far will you travel to honor their contribution?

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Traveling Wall will once again visit the Somerset County Park Commission’s North Branch Park/County Fairgrounds on Milltown Road this fall. The exhibit previously was at the park in 2011.

The wall will be open to visitors at the fairgrounds from 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, through 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. Visitors will be welcome around the clock. The AVTT’s appearance in Somerset County is sponsored by Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 452.

“Hosting the Traveling Tribute in Somerset County will be a great honor,” Somerset County Freeholder Director Mark Caliguire said. “We want our Somerset County veterans to know we have not forgotten the sacrifices they made.”

During the visit, county officials will recognize current and former residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Gulf War or later military operations in Southwest Asia. Eligible veterans may register at https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/medalforms/

The mission of the AVTT project is to travel the nation to honor, respect and remember men and women who served, and to pay specific tribute to those who gave all in that service. Since the tribute is mobile, it allows people to honor and respect veterans and active military personnel without having to travel great distances to do so.

The AVTT presents several Cost of Freedom memorials and exhibits, with its centerpiece being the Traveling Wall, an 80-percent-scale version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. Across its 370-foot length, the wall contains every single name etched on the original. At its apex the memorial is an impressive eight feet tall. The traveling wall was completed in early 1998 and began traveling that year.

AVTT’s traveling wall is the largest Wall replica traveling the USA, and is not to be confused with several other replica Walls: The Moving Wall, The Dignity Wall, the Wall That Heals.

The American Veterans Traveling Tribute is a veteran-owned project committed to travel the USA to honor, respect, and remember those who served, and pay specific tribute to those who gave all. AVTT is not government sponsored or affiliated, but funded through sponsorship fees, donations, and sale of merchandise at events.

AVTT works with The Traveling Wall Foundation, an IRS-designated, charitable, non-profit organization. Donations or support to AVTT’s mission, via the foundation, are qualified charitable tax deductions. For more information or to schedule an AVTT event, visit www.avtt.org or call (903) 714-8634.