Community Corner

What Prompted One Traveling Vietnam Wall Volunteer to Walk Out of Closing Ceremony

The arrival of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) Wall last weekend allowed family members, friends and fellow service members throughout the St. Louis area to honor those 58,000 individuals missing or killed in action.

The event drew 'tens of thousands' of visitors, according to Call Newspapers.

Hundreds of community members volunteered, according to the report, and several more--including Sunset Hills Mayor Bill Nolan and Crestwood Mayor Jeff Schlink--participated in daily ceremonies. However, one speaker's politically-charged remarks on the closing day (June 16) prompted several audience members, including one volunteer, to walk out. 

Vietnam veteran Walter Crawford, Jr., executive director of the Wild Bird Sanctuary, was Sunday's guest speaker.

"An audience that was emotional was held hostage by this man who was grand- standing by ranting and raving," according to Denni Laws.

Denni explains why she walked out of the ceremony in a post on Patch:

"My generation didn't do justice to honor those who served and the last decades have been spent trying to heal those wounds.  The Wall is a part of that healing; sharing memories and letting go of some of the hurt.  One of the speakers at the closing ceremony, in my opinion, abused the opportunity to further the healing and instead chose to revisit the pain with insults and name calling of those who didn't meet his personal standards," she writes.

"In a few inarticulate strokes, he managed to insult two presidents and thousands of those who were conflicted about serving when our own nation couldn't decide if it was a war or conflict. I understood the passion, and whether I agree or not with him, just doesn't matter. I was stunned that he took this time to promote his own politics."  

Read Denni's full post on Patch.


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