Veterans Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall Coming to Bowdoin Park Sept. 18-22

Veterans Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall
Coming to Bowdoin Park Sept. 18-22
Volunteers needed throughout the four-day event

Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino invites veterans from Dutchess County and across the Hudson Valley, as well as their families and history enthusiasts, to pay their respects as Dutchess County’s Office of Veterans Affairs brings the American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) Traveling Vietnam Wall to the County’s Bowdoin Park from Wednesday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 22. The wall, an 80 percent replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., contains the names of U.S. Military personnel who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Accompanying the Wall will be Cost of Freedom tributes to every U.S. military action since World War I, including 9/11. For a full schedule of events, visit dutchessny.gov/TravelingWallHighlights.

“Dutchess County is incredibly proud to bring the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to Bowdoin Park this September to honor the service and sacrifice made by more than 58,000 soldiers during that period,” said County Executive Serino. “This event gives the opportunity to show our respect and gratitude for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and allows our community to come together to recognize and appreciate those brave service men and women who never received a proper ‘welcome home.’ For those who may have not yet gotten the chance to visit the full-scale memorial in our nation’s capital, we hope you will join us in commemorating their service and sacrifice here in our local community. I thank our Office of Veterans Affairs Director Adam Roche and his team for their dedication and tireless work to bring this important event to fruition.”

An honor convoy – comprised of law enforcement agencies and several chapters of Rolling Thunder Inc. motorcycle club – will escort the Wall as it arrives in Dutchess County on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Following the exhibit’s installation at Bowdoin Park, the exhibit will be open 24 hours a day, monitored by volunteers, to allow visitors the opportunity to experience the wall in solitude, if so desired, until 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, when it will begin its journey to Highland, IN. A full line-up of special events and ceremonies during the four-day exhibit is as follows:

Vietnam Traveling Wall Event Highlights 

Wednesday, Sept. 18

• 9am Traveling Wall Arrival, Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
• 5pm Opening Ceremony featuring Missing Man Table and keynote address from Richard Lay, National Purple Heart Honor Mission

Thursday, Sept. 19

• All day, Military Vehicles Display & History of Dogs in the Vietnam War
• Dusk, Performance of “Taps”

Friday, Sept. 20

• All day, Military Vehicles Display
• Dusk, Performance of “Taps”

Saturday, Sept. 21

• All day, Military Vehicles Display
• Noon-2pm, Boy Scouts Concert Band performing patriotic music
• 2-5pm, Veterans Resource Tent
• 6pm, Ceremony & Candlelight Vigil with keynote speaker Karl R. Rohde, Silver Star Recipient, Vietnam Veteran; wreath laying and Dutchess County Veterans Tribute

Sunday, Sept. 22

• Noon-2pm, Boy Scouts Concert Band performing patriotic music
• 2pm, Raffle drawing for USA flag flown over the Wall, proceeds from the raffle to benefit the Mental Health America of Dutchess County’s Vet-2-Vet program
• 2pm, Closing ceremony and volunteer recognition

Veterans Affairs Director Adam Roche said, “It has been said that acknowledging the names of the fallen is a sacred experience for surviving veterans, bringing forth emotions and memories that may have been held inside for decades. We are proud to bring this important edifice to Dutchess County to give our veterans and their families a chance to see their loved ones’ names and hopefully offer some closure to many who visit the wall. We are grateful to the countless veteran agencies, volunteers, County government departments, especially the Parks division, and community organizations who have stepped up to help bring this unforgettable experience to Dutchess County.”

Volunteers are still needed to help make this event memorable for all. Shifts are available all days, and for any length of time between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. For more information on volunteering, call Veterans Services at 845-486-2060 or email veterans@dutchessny.gov. View or download the volunteer flyer at DutchessNY.gov/VolunteersNeededTravelingWall.

AVTT is an independent organization, committed to travelling the U.S. to honor and remember those who served, and pay tribute to those who gave all in service. Built in 1998, AVTT’s Traveling Vietnam Wall is the largest replica Wall traveling the U.S. It provides those who are not able to visit the memorial in Washington D.C. with the opportunity to honor and pay tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War.

For more information on veterans services throughout Dutchess County visit, dutchessny.gov/veterans.