Time to heal with replica of Vietnam Wall Memorial
| Tuesday, Mar 02 2010 05:35 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Mar 02 2010 05:35 PM
A replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial will be displayed this week in Bakersfield. On Wednesday, more than 300 motorcycle riders have signed up to be escorted by the California Highway Patrol to ride from Tehachapi to Stramler Park in honor of local veterans and their families.
The wall will be on display at Stramler Park at 3805 Chester Ave. from Thursday through Sunday and there will be a series of events throughout the week to pay tribute to those who served.
According to Vernon Valenzuela, team leader of the Bakersfield Vet Center, this will be the fifth time "The Wall That Heals" comes to Bakersfield. This year's mantra is "Time To Heal."
"At our age, we need to let go of pain. We carried it long enough. Many of us will not have another chance to do this," Valenzuela said.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, opening ceremonies will take place, which will include a reading of more than 58,000 names on the wall.
On Friday, a candlelight vigil will be held at dusk. Family members and friends of veterans are welcome to attend the 6 p.m. vigil at Stramler Park.
Then on Saturday, another hundred or more motorcycle riders will leave the Harley Davidson dealership carrying a POW/MIA flag. They will arrive at Stramler Park at 11 a.m. At noon, a Native American Ceremony will feature drumming, singing and a traditional blessing called smudging.
The last day of events will include closing ceremonies at 6 p.m. Sunday, when names will continue to be read.
Wednesday through Sunday, the Mobile Vet Center will be stationed at the park for veterans who want to seek counseling or ask questions about benefits.
If you are interested in volunteering to read names or making donations, contact Vernon Valenzuela at 868-7303.
