Volunteers Still Needed for Traveling Vietnam Wall in Faribault

On Monday, Traveling Wall Project Co-Chairs Peter Van Sluis and Kirk Mansfield stopped by the KDHL studio for a visit on AM Minnesota.

Mansfield is excited the big day is nearing when the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall replica makes its trek to Faribault for a visit. Van Sluis said the turnout of people interested in volunteering has been very good, but the proof is when they actually arrive and volunteer.

I went to the Rice County Fairgrounds on Monday night, which will be the site for the wall, for some volunteer orientation. There were 18 people in attendance. Many more volunteers will be needed. A minimum of 15 people older than 18 are needed to put up the wall when it arrives Wednesday afternoon.

The replica Vietnam Memorial Wall is coming to Minnesota from Bloomington, Ill., and will park at the Steele County Free Fairgrounds in Owatonna where it will meet its escort to Faribault.

Van Sluis and Mansfield are hoping hundreds of people in each community line the streets to help honor the more than 58,000 people whose names are on the wall for giving the supreme sacrifice to benefit all of us.

The Wall will travel County Road 45 from Owatonna through Medford and into Faribault entering on Willow Street, then heading west on Fourth Street to Highway 21, north to Highway 3 and south to the north entrance of North Alexander Park.

All people are welcome to be part of the escort, which meets at 2:30PM Wednesday on the Steele County Free Fairgrounds in Owatonna.

There will be a soft opening at 1PM Thursday starting with the posting of colors by American Legion Post 43 Color Guard. Faribault Boy Scouts will lead in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be followed the singing of our national anthem by Lisa Quimby.

An invocation will be given by Legion Chaplain Kirk Mansfield and Traveling Project Co-Chair Virginia Van Sluis will deliver a message. A short poem will be read by Ruth Mickelson and Vietnam veteran Doug Truman will speak.

Monday night I helped carry some white wooden crosses with pictures of Minnesotans who have given their lives for this nation since 2001. One hundred crosses will be in the midfield area to the west of what is the Bingo Pavilion during the Rice County Fair.

The Bingo Pavilion will be the Information Center for duration of the Wall's visit to Faribault.

The replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., will be set up west of what is the Beer Garden during the Rice County Fair. That Beer Garden will be a Veterans Lounge area for veterans only.

Also during the soft opening Thursday afternoon, some wreaths will be laid and there will be a blessing of the Wall. One of the wreaths will be laid by longtime Faribault Public School teacher Mary Danielson Gates and her son, Navy Commander Brian Danielson, in honor of her late husband and his father Capt. Benjamin Franklin Danielson of Kenyon, who lost his life in 1969 after being shot down over enemy territory.

Another wreath will be laid by Helen Gunhus Peterson in honor of her late brother, PFC Gordon Gunhus of Kenyon, who lost his life March 1, 1970. Helen Eastman Lieb will also lay a wreath in honor of her brother, PFC Thomas Eastman. They will be escorted by members of the Kenyon Veterans Color Guard.

The Wall will officially open to the public about 1PM Thursday.

Opening ceremonies will be held on the Sellner Stage of the Rice County Fairgrounds at 6:30PM Thursday. There will be a march in of flags by area Legions and VFW members.

Kirk Mansfield will have the invocation and a Vietnam veteran will lead those in attendance in the reciting of our Pledge of Allegiance. Lisa Quimby will sing the national anthem.

Traveling Wall Project Co-Chair Virginia Van Sluis will welcome those in attendance and introduce Vietnam veteran Steve Bauer of Faribault. Quimby sings "Wind Beneath My Wings" and Ambassador James Lundell will be the keynote speaker. There will be a reading of names of fallen soldiers from a six-county area with the Bell of Honor ringing after the names are read.

Mansfield told KDHL AM Minnesota listeners Monday they are invited to participate in a free ride around the region on motorcycle or by vehicle Saturday beginning at 10:30AM.

The 120-mile ride will go to Pine Island for lunch at the American Legion through Cannon Falls and back to Faribault for a burger bar at the Elks.

If you want to help set up the Wall, please show up at 7:30AM Thursday at the Fairgrounds in Faribault.