Traveling Vietnam wall visit is more than just the stories behind the names

CHILLICOTHE - George Howard Simonton remembers the last time he saw his Nelsonville High School classmate, Richard Anders, in 1967.

A veteran who had recently completed a stint in the military, Simonton was spending a final night with Anders before his friend shipped out for Vietnam. The evening ended with an ominous prediction.

"He and I were out partying the night before he left," Simonton said, a touch of emotion at the memory tinging his voice. "We got to talking and stuff, and he told me, 'Howard, I'm not coming home.'"

That sense proved prophetic. Richard Anders lost his life just a few weeks after arriving in Vietnam. 

Stories like Simonton's were not in short supply Thursday morning along the outfield warning track at Chillicothe's VA Memorial Stadium as the first group of veterans, veterans' families and those just looking to pay their respects to those who gave all for their country looked at the names etched into the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. The wall, at 360 feet long by eight foot high at its highest point, is an 80 percent scale replica of the permanent memorial wall located in Washington, D.C. It is the largest of the traveling walls in existence and will be on display in the outfield of the stadium around the clock until 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

The wall contains the same names of those who gave their lives in Vietnam that are etched on the permanent wall in Washington, D.C. Each name has its own story, and each has its personal emotional bond with someone.

Roger White, of Lancaster, served in Vietnam and said he lost a lot of guys he went to school with. The wall's visit to Chillicothe, he said, offers him the opportunity to show his gratitude to his fallen comrades.

"You never forget (the war)," White said. "Every time you hear a helicopter, you go look. Fireworks aren't a favorite thing."

He hopes those in younger generations take the time to visit the wall and gain a better understanding of what it signifies. Several students were on hand for Thursday's opening ceremonies.

"They can see how many people forfeited their life for them to have freedom," he said.

The wall, as expected, drew people from across the region and beyond, each with their own reason for visiting. Steve Hesterman's wife, Debbie, is from Chillicothe, and she was looking for the name of a friend who died in Vietnam, Ophrey Irvin. Her late father also was a prisoner of war during World War II, which created an added pull for her to pay tribute to those who served. Her husband said he attempted to volunteer to serve in Vietnam, but couldn't get medical clearance due to issues with asthma.

"Since I wasn't allowed, at least I can honor those who sacrificed," Steve Hesterman said.

Nick Pinnix, a Vietnam veteran from Chillicothe, has never made it to the national memorial but has seen the traveling wall before. He visited to find the name of a friend and pay his respects. Fred and Juanita Clarke, of Wheelersburg, also wanted to pay respects to those names on the wall — Juanita having had a brother who served in Vietnam who, fortunately for her family, did return home.

Don West, of Logan, served on the U.S.S. Intrepid off the coast of Hanoi during the war in Vietnam. He works as a volunteer with the VA Medical Center and was a member of the committee that spent 18 to 20 months working to bring the wall to Chillicothe. He said he's missing seven or eight comrades from his time in the service, of whom three appear on the wall and the remainder are considered missing in action. 

The wall, he noted, offers a chance for reflection and to come to peace with the memories.

A brief opening ceremony officially opened the four days of activities tied to the wall's visit, with remarks offered by Chip Tansil, director of the Ohio Department of Veteran Services, and VA Medical Center Director Mark Murdock. Retired Navy veteran David Medert read the classic story about the permanent memorial, "From the Other Side," Huntington High School Student Cole Maxson sang "Amazing Grace" and America Jordan performed the National Anthem. The Paint Valley Cadet Corps presented the colors, fired a 21-gun salute and presented "Taps."

Those in the crowd brought their own displays of patriotism to the event. Veterans wore hats and vests containing details of when or where they served, American flags were not in short supply, and one veteran wore a t-shirt reading, "Don't thank me, thank my brothers who never came back." Visitors along the wall marked the discovery of the name they were looking for in a variety of ways, either by merely pointing it out to others, taking a photo or making a rubbing on paper.

West summed up the feeling of being a veteran of the war and visiting the wall, noting that any veteran being honest with themselves will acknowledge that the war is still imprinted on who they are.

"You just have to come to grips with yourself and make peace," he said. "This (wall) is a great way to do that."

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday

1 p.m.: POW-MIA Recognition Ceremony and Missing Man Ceremony, Building 9

8 p.m.: "In Their Honor" candlelight vigil and moment of silence, VA Memorial Stadium

Saturday

9 a.m.-noon: Agent Orange town hall meeting, Building 9

1 p.m.: Ceremony featuring Cliff Riley, president of the Buckeye State Council; Col. James Camp, assistant adjutant general for the Ohio Air National Guard; SMSgt. Renee Frey of the Ohio National Guard; and Catherine Beers-Conrad, Gold Star daughter of an Air Force veteran, VA Memorial Stadium

4 p.m.: Rolling Thunder Ohio POW-MIA Vietnam program, Building 9

6 p.m.: Flags for Forgotten Soldiers Veteran Suicide Prevention and Awareness Ceremony, Building 31. Event features Jhan Corzine of the Ross County Suicide Prevention Coalition; Howard Berry, with Flags for Forgotten Soldiers; Jeenee Hines, suicide prevention case manager for Chillicothe VA Medical Center; and a music tribute by Aladdin Shrine Pipe and Drums.

Sunday

10 a.m.: Sunday service, Building 252 chapel

2 p.m.: Closing ceremony featuring retired Col. Ron Sampson of the U.S. Air Force and a raffle drawing, VA Memorial Stadium

2:30 p.m.: Event closes

All events are taking place on the campus of the Chillicothe VA Medical Center campus off Ohio 104 just north of Chillicothe.