Community Invited to Pay Respects to America's War Veterans
N. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dignity Memorial® Vietnam
Wall, a three-quarter-scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C., will be open for public viewing November 6-8, 2009, at
Bailey Memorial Gardens, 7801 Bailey Road, North Lauderdale, Fla. 33068.
"The monument was created as a service to those who might never travel to the
nation's capital to experience the Vietnam Veterans Memorial firsthand," said
Steven Parker, general manager of Bailey Memorial Gardens, part of the Dignity
Memorial network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. "Our
replica offers visitors a chance for healing and reflections, and we are very
pleased to be able to share it with the community."
Free and open to the public 24 hours a day from Friday, November 6 through
Sunday, November 8, the replica is eight feet high and 240 feet long. Its
black, reflective surface is inscribed with the names of more than 58,000
servicemen and women who died or are missing in Vietnam. Paper and pencils
will be provided so visitors can make rubbings of names etched on the wall.
The Dignity Memorial provider network created the replica in 1990, and The
Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall is dedicated to all Americans who served in
Vietnam and honors all veterans of the U.S. military.
Activities and ceremonies planned in conjunction with the exhibition include
the following:
-- A motorcade of Vietnam veterans and other riders from area motorcycle
clubs will depart Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapel in Deerfield Beach
at
12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 to escort the wall to Bailey
Memorial Gardens, where it is scheduled to arrive at approximately
1p.m.
-- The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall will be open to teachers and school
groups for an Education Day on Thursday, November 5 from 10 a.m. - 2
p.m. Area veterans will give a presentation to educate the students on
the importance of the Vietnam War and the relevance of the Wall.
Educators interested in scheduling a tour for their students should
contact Steven Parker, 954-722-9000 or steven.parker@sci-us.com.
-- The Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 6 at 10 a.m.
The ceremony will include presentation and posting of colors, singing
of
The Star-Spangled Banner by Channie Kahan and America the Beautiful by
Melissa Garvey, remarks by Ilene Lieberman, Broward County
Commissioner,
District I and Mayor Jack Brady, City of North Lauderdale, the
presentation of wreaths and bagpipes.
-- At 11 a.m. on Friday, November 6, the reading of the names from the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial will begin and continue through the weekend.
-- On Friday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m., a ceremony will feature The
Star-Spangled Banner sung by SN Paula J. Hinkley, Taps, and will
conclude by retiring the colors.
-- On Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, a ceremony will be
held
at 10 a.m. It will feature the presentation and posting of colors and
the national anthem.
-- A candlelight memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 7 at
6:30 p.m. The service will feature the opening prayer by Reverend
Rafael
Cos, performance of America the Beautiful by Dr. Wilhelmina King and I
Will Remember You by Cheryl Johnson, remarks by Rabbi Alan Sherman,
the
lighting of candles, Invocation by Reverend Ray Wehrenberg, and the
playing of Taps.
-- At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, the Florida 9th District American
Legion Symphonic Band conducted by James McGonigal will perform.
-- The Closing Ceremony will occur on Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. The
ceremony will include remarks by local dignitaries and veterans, a
concert by a symphonic band, a 21-gun salute, playing of Taps and
retiring the colors.
The three-day exhibition is sponsored locally by Bailey Memorial Gardens with
kind support from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 23. To learn more,
get updates or become a fan of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, visit
www.facebook.com/DignityMemorialVietnamWall.
After N. Lauderdale, Fla., the monument will be on display in Yonkers, N.Y.
from November 13-15, 2009. To date, the replica has traveled to more than 200
cities across the country and has been visited by millions of Americans.
The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall is one of many efforts of the Dignity
Memorial network to honor and support our nation's veterans and active
military. Other initiatives and programs include the Veterans Planning Guide,
the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program, educational veterans
seminars and special pricing and benefits for members of three veterans
service organizations.
Bailey Memorial Gardens is a proud Dignity Memorial provider in N. Lauderdale,
Fla. The Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,600 funeral, cremation and
cemetery service providers is North America's most trusted resource for
funeral and memorialization services. Dignity Memorial providers offer an
unmatched combination of products and locations serving families with care,
integrity, respect and service excellence. For more information, call
954-722-9000 or visit www.DignityMemorial.com.
Contact:
Jennie Roberts
713-525-5457 or jennifer.roberts@sci-us.com
SOURCE The Dignity Memorial Network
Jennie Roberts, +1-713-525-5457, jennifer.roberts@sci-us.com, for The Dignity
Memorial Network
