Replica of Memorial Wall to Be Shown
A half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington will be erected Friday in Ventura.
The 250-foot-long replica was built by Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd. of San Jose, and currently is on a national tour.
The wall, which will be put up at the County Government Center in Ventura, is the centerpiece of activities sponsored by Vietnam Veterans of Ventura County.
Events scheduled during the wall’s weeklong stay include a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Friday for 248 Californians still missing in action; a reading of 2,343 names of those still missing in action nationwide at 3 p.m. Saturday and a poetry reading and music all day Sunday.
At 8 p.m. Friday, musicians Michael Martin, Tim Holiday and Marcus Leddy will perform at the wall. Closing ceremonies will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday with a repeat concert performance, said Bob Wilhelm, an Oxnard Vietnam veteran who coordinated the events.
The miniature memorial wall has been on tour around the country since 1984, Wilhelm said, with stops in Ventura in 1985 and in Westlake Village in 1986. Wilhelm estimated that about 120 names on the wall are those of former Ventura County residents.
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