“Moving Wall” Exhibit Will Visit Ossipee

Posted on April 6th, 2008 at 4:12 PM By Alliance Staff No Comments

The “Moving Wall” is coming to Constitution Park. The half-scale replica of Washington’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be on display in the soccer field of the Ossipee Lake park during Memorial Day weekend, May 22 to May 26, in honor of the 58,000 men and women who were killed or remain missing in the conflict.

The wall’s appearance here is due to the efforts of David and Susan Dube, owners of the popular Lazy Susan’s restaurant, a stone’s throw from the park where it will be on display.

For David, a Marine who served in Vietnam from 1976-1977, the wall has personal meaning as a reminder of rescuing boat refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Over the years he and his wife have worked with veteran’s groups, including helping arrange for the wall to be displayed in Massachusetts communities in 1990 and 1994.

The moving wall began as an idea by John Devitt, a former Army helicopter door gunner and Vietnam veteran who visited the Washington wall in 1982 and decided to try to recreate the experience for others who might not get a similar chance to see it. He and a group of fellow veterans built the first moving wall and displayed it in Texas in 1984. Today two walls tour the country each year from April through November, supported by volunteer efforts and local fund-raising.

The wall will be on display at Constitution Park for 24 hours daily at no charge to the public. Volunteers are needed to help during the display hours and should contact David Dube at (603) 539-7696.