Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall arrives in Myrtle Beach ahead of Memorial Day weekend

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - You can pay your respects to thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam War with the special memorial making a stop in the Grand Strand.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall returned to Myrtle Beach Thursday for the first time in nearly a decade. It’s also the Wall’s first time being here over Memorial Day weekend.

One hundred motorcycles will escort the nearly 300-foot-long wall Thursday afternoon to the field next to Crab Tree Memorial Gym.

The traveling memorial is a three-fifths scale replica of the memorial wall in Washington D.C. and is also known as the Wall that Heals.

The memorial includes the names of more than 50,000 people who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.

William F. Livingston, a Vietnam air force veteran, said he’s never been to Washington D.C. to see the actual Vietnam War Memorial, so he hopes to find his loved one’s name while this special memorial is here in Myrtle Beach.

“I have a cousin who was in the 25th infantry division. He got killed in Vietnam in 1968 when I was in Vietnam. I’ll be looking for his name on the wall,” said Livingston.

Steve Bassett, a Vietnam Army veteran, said he is from the D.C. area and actually marched down constitution avenue in 1982 when the Vietnam Wall was dedicated.

However, he said he’s never seen the traveling wall but knows it’s likely a tough sight to see for those who fought in the war.

“I think for a lot of veterans it’s going to be difficult. I mean we all spent months in the jungles of Vietnam, and there’s not one of us there that doesn’t know at least one and probably more than one name up on that wall. It’s always been difficult just thinking about it,” said Bassett.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is free to visit 24 hours a day.

You can visit the memorial in the field next to Crab Tree Memorial Gym from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, May 28.

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall Schedule of Events:

• Opening Ceremony Friday at 1 p.m.
• Remembrance Ceremony Saturday at 2 p.m.
• Closing Ceremony Sunday at 1 p.m.

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