What is The Moving Wall?
"The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for thirty plus 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.
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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.
Who conceived the idea of the Moving Wall?
The concept and actual building The Moving Wall grew out of the hard work and effort by John Devitt, Gerry Haver and Norris Shears, Vietnam veterans from California, concerned with what they might possibly do to somehow "keep alive" and share the power and good that Devitt had experienced while attending the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
At first, it was decided to build a replica and display it on the West Coast, so that people who lived so far from the Capital might have a chance to experience the Wall. While in Washington, DC in February 1983, John Devitt was explaining his project to several other veterans he had just met. One exclaimed, "What a great idea! Is this going to be portable?" Trying to avoid any negatives around his project, John simply nodded and replied, "Yeah, it's going to be portable."
What is the official name of this portable wall?
Originally, John Devitt simply called it the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Mobile), drawing on his own background as a helicopter crew chief in the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile). In February 1985, while the Wall was on display at the State of California Veterans Home in Yountville, California, the name Micki Voisard of St. Helena, California dubbed “The Moving Wall.” She is a member of Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd., and is a former flight attendant with Flying Tigers Airline. The Moving Wall has also been referred to as "The Traveling Wall,” the "Half-Scale Replica Wall,” and "The Healing Wall." However, its official name is The Moving Wall.
When did construction of The Moving Wall begin?
Construction began in February 1983 after experimenting with various methods of replicating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Out of several methods tried, Devitt decided silk-screening was the best way to replicate the names, making each name as legible as it is on the Memorial in Washington. John Devitt, Gerry Haver, and Norris Shears did the actual construction and silk-screening of names. When they began, John was confident they could complete the project in two weeks.
When was The Moving Wall completed?
The Moving Wall was completed in October 1984, having taken nearly two years rather than the two weeks John had hoped for.
On October 11th, 1984, the last panel was silk-screened, mounted on its frame while the ink was still wet, and loaded into its crate.
On October 15th, The Moving Wall was erected for the first time in Tyler, Texas. Carl McClung, a Vietnam veteran in Tyler, had heard about The Moving Wall seven months before and had contacted Devitt to see about scheduling a date. The display in Tyler, Texas coincided with the East Texas Rose Festival.
Who paid for The Moving Wall?
The Moving Wall was paid for, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, from contributions made by the public.
To get the project started immediately, John Devitt and Gerry Haver pooled their own personal funds, which totaled barely over $2,500. Under normal circumstances, it would not have been enough cash to begin a project of this magnitude with any hopes of success. However, John was convinced this was not a "normal" project.
With a lot of leg-work, John and Gerry found several trusting and supportive individuals and companies who helped out by granting these two strangers credit based on their presentation and promise to make good on any debts, even if they had to pay on their own in the end.
What are the dimensions of The Moving Wall?
Overall length of The Moving Wall is 252.83 feet, which is slightly longer than half the length of the Memorial in Washington, DC. whose length is 493.5 feet. Composed of 74 separate frames, seventy frames contain two silk-screened panels. Each of the two walls that make up the entire Wall is 126.5 feet in length.
The tallest panels have 137 lines of names, while the shortest panels at each end of the Wall have only one line. Originally, there were five names on each line, but with the addition of names, some lines now have six names.
At the vertex of The Moving Wall, where the two walls join at an angle, the panels are six feet in height. In Washington, D.C., these same panels are 10.2 feet in height.
What are the numbers at the bottom of the panels?
The numbers at the bottom identifying each panel are used in locating a name and are merely reference numbers. They do not signify dates.
The numbers for both East and West walls start out from the center, extending to the far ends with number 70E or 70W. The last two panels on each end are blank. These blank panels merely finish out the artistic design and are not locations for adding additional names.
What are the white dots on the panels?
The white dots are used to help locate the line on which a name appears, and are particularly helpful when looking for a name on the larger panels. Each dot marks 20 lines. They are located in the margin of each panel having more than 20 lines.
What are the symbols beside each name?
The diamonds ( ) and pluses ( ) indicate whether a person is confirmed dead (including those who died from accidents and natural causes), or those missing.
The diamonds indicate that a person's death was confirmed.
The pluses indicate that a person remains missing and/or held as a prisoner of war, and are in no way meant to be a religious symbol. A plus symbol can be turned into a diamond if a person is declared dead or their remains are recovered.
A circle symbolizing the "Circle of Life" will be inscribed around a plus if a person is freed and brought home alive.
What happens to articles left at The Moving Wall by friends or relatives?
The artifacts, which people leave just as they have done in Washington, DC since the beginning, are collected, boxed, and marked at each location then taken back to White Pine, Michigan.
They are currently stored in The Moving Wall’s warehouse/office complex. A museum will be built and all the artifacts that have been left at The Moving Wall will be displayed.