'Moving Wall' Replica Of Vietnam Memorial Coming To Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Residents from Washington Township will have the opportunity to remember those who were lost in the Vietnam War at a special traveling memorial wall this fall.

The Traveling Wall is "a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC," according to the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall’s website.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, John Devitt felt the power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when he saw it dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1982, and he vowed to share that feeling with people who might not be able to visit it.

The Moving Wall was built by Devitt, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and other Vietnam veteran volunteers. It has now been traveling across the United States for more than 30 years.

According to township officials, Washington Township will host the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, 2023. The ceremony will take place in Palmer Park on Sept. 29, 2023, at 10 a.m.

There are 58,281 names listed on the Vietnam Memorial and the Moving Wall. The names of the fallen are listed in the order in which they died, and the age group with the highest number of deaths—33,103—was 18 years old.

There are 1,563 names from New Jersey and 69 from Morris County.

“All Morris County residents should take advantage of this unique opportunity to see the traveling version of the Vietnam wall. I would especially urge parents to bring their children, and high school and college students to come and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as a big thank you to our Vietnam veterans,” said Deputy Director John Krickus of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, a Marine Corps veteran.

Donations to the event can be made to:

Washington Township Vietnam Traveling Wall Memorial Trust

43 Schooley's Mountain Road

Long Valley, NJ 07853.

For more information on the event, contact Brian McGuire at bfmac123@gmail.com or 973-216-0078.