The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience
Contributed by Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau and
Pam Clark, a volunteer

Rev. Ed McWilliams finds his best friend's name, 2nd Lt. Bruce Welge who was a 1967 graduate of The Citadel and a native of Illinois.

Columbia was the next stop on a cross country tour for the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience October 27-29, 2006. The experience is a traveling three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation, and cemetery providers created this memorial as a service to those who may never visit Washington to see "The Wall" firsthand. The exhibit which travels the country each year, allows millions of visitors to see and touch the black, mirror-like surface inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 Americans who died or are missing in Vietnam. Honoring all U.S. Veterans and dedicated to Vietnam Veterans, the faux-granite replica is 250 feet long and eight feet high.

Dignity Memorial providers created the traveling memorial in 1990. Since its inception the exhibit has made stops in more than 200 cities.

Lower Richland JROTC's 49 cadets volunteered to stand honor guard at four posts. They placed over 1800 flags on Veterans graves throughout the cemetery at Greenlawn Memorial Park.

Beginning October 27 at 7 am, volunteers read the names of all the veterans listed on the wall. This continued 24 hours a day until the list was completed.

Members of Asbury Memorial United Methodist provided food for the volunteers and the use of their kitchen and part of their grounds. Greenlawn Memorial Gardens hosted the event.

Boy Scouts of Troop #376 pass out programs at the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience. (l-r) Karson Mostert, a Summit Parkway Middle School student, and Justin Collins, an A.C. Flora High School sophomore. Charles T. Gary of Hopkins served with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 1967-68. Gary graduated from Hopkins High School in 1966 and was drafted a week later. Doctors took out some shrapnel when Gary was wounded by a grenade and sent him back to the front line. Retired Air Force Major Nick Linenberger volunteers as an honor guard for the Knights of Columbus, 4th degree. Photos by Casey Clark These are the tags of over 4000 war dogs who served in the Vietnam War. Even if the dogs survived, they were not allowed to come back to the U.S. This memorial stone marks the spot in Greenlawn Memorial Park where the Memorabilia Vault will be buried.