The University of New Hampshire, as part of a two-year program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, hosted "The Moving Wall," May 4-8.
The Wall is a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C featuring the names of more than 58,300 military personnel who lost their lives in Vietnam between 1959 and 1975.
Volunteers, many of them Vietnam War veterans themselves, helped set up The Wall on the Great Lawn in front of DeMeritt Hall just off Main Street. These veterans also helped provide security for The Wall that was available for public viewing 24 hours a day throughout its stay.
The Wall arrived at 8 a.m. May 4, escorted by N.H. State police, local police, and several Vietnam motorcycle groups including including the Patriots Guard Riders, US Marines, Nam Knights, Combat Warriors, and Nam Era Vets.. That afternoon, opening ceremonies featured UNH President Mark Huddleston and NH Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Shannan Brown. Although there aren't any official attendance figures, The Wall drew steady crowds throughout the weekend.
Miniature versions of the Vietnam Memorial have toured the country since 1984. The Moving Wall that visited UNH is one of two current versions crisscrossing the country. Durham was its first stop of the 2017 season.
The visit was made possible by a number of UNH offices: the President’s Office; the Office of Military and Veteran Services; Facilities; Dining; Transportation Services; Academic Affairs; Community, Equity and Diversity; and the Student Armed Forces Association. Service Credit Union also provided support for the event.
This video was produced by the town of Durham, N.H.
