Mailer 11

Please Share This Moment With Us In Honoring Our Vietnam Vets

The Moving Wall

Comes To Redlands, CA

In September of 2006, Nightscaping® was informed that the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall would be coming to Redlands and we were asked if we would provide the lighting for the project. Of course, we corporately said YES and I was asked to co-ordinate the project. I thought no big deal, another project! Little did I know what a life changing experience this would be.

The head of the project was a gentleman from our local American Legion Post, Bill Harden. Bill and I quickly became good friends. I began attending the planning meetings, gathering all the necessary information in order for us to do a good lighting design for the project. I called in Bill Locklin for his expert advice and then turned his ideas over to Hector in our design department to come up with the final plan. Through the months of planning, I was struck by the dedication and commitment on the part of all involved. Most of the people were Vietnam veterans. None of whom were getting paid to work on this project but were working from their hearts for those who were lost in Vietnam.

After many months of planning and preparation, the wall arrived in Redlands on May 31, 2007. I will never forget the moment when the truck carrying the pieces to the wall arrived and they were carefully taken from the truck and placed on the wooden base. An eerie quiet fell onto Sylvan Park as each panel was put into place until finally the last panel was in place. I watched the faces of the volunteers who had worked so hard to make this a reality and saw tears running down many cheeks as the reality of it all set in. There are 58,256 names inscribed on this wall representing those who were killed or missing in action in Vietnam. Being near the wall was like being in a sacred place. You could not look at it or be near it and not have a sense of awe as to what it represented. The wall was in place in Redlands for 4 days. During that time many Nightscaping® staff members volunteered to work security, handle the information booth, and many other tasks while the wall was in Redlands. We all just wanted to give a little something back to our community. We were there to serve...to be available to those who came to the wall to find the names of their friends or loved ones who were lost. We were able to laugh and to cry with those who visited.

Even now that the wall is gone, I drive by the park or go to the site and can still hear the sounds of the experience. That area of the park will never be the same to me.

I was taught a valuable lesson on selfless service by the veterans who were involved. It is good to serve others ....expecting nothing in return.

Connie Barnes
Administrative Assistant

800-544-4840 ext.18

connie@nightscaping.com

About The Moving Wall^(TM)

"The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for more than twenty years. When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of "The Wall." He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.

John, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver, and other Vietnam veteran volunteers built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas in October of 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the USA from April through November, spending about a week at each site.

A "Sponsor" is any organization or group of individuals that wants The Moving Wall to visit their area and is willing to do the work to make the local arrangements as described in Scheduling a Visit of The Moving Wall. Sponsors are frequently civic groups, schools, or veterans' organizations. Sponsoring normally requires months of planning by dozens of local volunteers.

The Moving Wall Website