Vietnam War Memorial Moving Wall Arrives In Hillside

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A half-replica of the Vietnam War Memorial made its way Thursday morning to Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside where it will be on display for the next five days.

"They would have done it for us. We’re doing it for them,” said 76-year-old Vietnam War veteran Marine David Hume. He, along with dozens of others on motorcycle, escorted the Vietnam War Memorial Moving Wall through several western suburbs during an hour-long procession that started in Oak Brook Terrace.

The procession passed by waiting school children at Divine Providence Catholic School in Westchester. About half the students did not make it outside in time to see the Moving Wall as it made its way down Mayfair Avenue.

To that, Principal Lynn Letourneau, said, “that’s going to be very disappointing for my kids, because we’ve been talking about it and preparing them. What was really important is the veterans I’ve spoken to, they wondered whether kids still learned about Vietnam today.”

She said they do still learn about it.

Retired police officer Bob Del Carlo said his brother served in Vietnam and his father and grandfathers served in the military. Del Carlo was part of the honor guard, too.

“It’s a payback. It’s the least that we can do to escort them home," he said.

Ted Ratajczyk, executive director of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago said, “we’re honored to host it and give it a home for five days at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. We’re going to have ceremonies each of the days.”

Ratajczyk said a traveling museum is part of the Wall exhibit.

“It’s called 'Through the Eyes' and it’s going to have over 2,000 artifacts from the VN War that people can walk through all these tents. He’s got it set up to look like what the barracks used to look like, the quarters used to look like,” he said.

In the field, too, are 1,588 American flags. Each flag represents a serviceman or woman who is still missing-in-action.

At a ceremony Thursday, however, one of those flags will be retired, because the remains of another serviceman has been recovered and identified.

“A Catholic cemetery is a place to pray and remember," Ratajczyk said.

He said people will get a chance over the next few days to “honor” those who gave their lives during the Vietnam War.

Nearly 58,000 Americans died during the Vietnam War.