CRIVITZ, WI (WTAQ) – A Name. Behind each one, a family, a story, and history to be uncovered. 58,318 names are on a Vietnam memorial wall replica that has a temporary home in Crivitz.
Each of those names representing a life lost in Vietnam.
A Veteran that goes by the name of “Snake” lives in Green Bay, but helped welcome in the wall.
“Tuesday I was part of the motorcycle escort to brought it over in a monsoon. We would do it rain, shine, tornado warnings, we don’t care, it had to get here. We brought it here with honor and respect.
Before the wall was open to the public Thursday a ceremony was held to pay respect to the veterans.
Among the Vietnam veterans in the crowd was Glenn Manske of Crivitz. He is a member of Purple Heart chapter 164, a recipient of the Purple Heart and a wounded warrior.
Manske was in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 when he was just 19-years-old.
“You know, when your fellow comrades, the guys that you joked around with and you got to love them for what they were and they were kids. You forget their faces and you forget their names but then if you can look it up on the wall and gives you a chance to say ah I remember him, he’s the guy that just got married and we used to peak over his shoulder to see the pictures of his wife in the negligee.”
To help Veterans and their families find the names are looking for guys like Tim Tate’s the site manager for the “Wall That Heals” and a little technology.
“We can bring a person and show them where a name is on the wall, but also look that name and show them a photograph of that person to help them remember or see what they looked like. We have photographs of almost all 58,318 veterans.”
“And we can look it up and we can oh yeah, that was his name, said Manske. “It brings back a lot of memories and that you can finally say goodbye buddy.”
Crivitz Village President John Deschane is a veteran, and the name of one of his classmates is on the wall the wall. Since the wall is only stopping at 32 places in the nation, and Crivitz is one, there are many reasons to come see it this weekend.
“That ability to say welcome home and say I miss you or to find your love ones on here I mean you can’t put words, said Deschane. “On it is every single detail and is the same one in DC right down to the same scratches on it.”
The wall will be open 24 hours a day each day and will remain in Crivitz until 3:00 p.m. Sunday.
