Over 58,260 names are engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. However, they are NOT just in Washington, D.C. or in the Moving and travelling WALLS that go from location-to-location in the US. Those names rest PERMANENTLY in an exact replica of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial WALL found in Washington, D.C.

This replica is located in Mineral Wells, Texas, at the National Vietnam War Musuem gardens. And on Saturday, 30 May 2009, the dedication ceremony and the unveiling of the Memorial Wall took place.

The highlights of the event saw the following:

- A real, live UH-1 Huey Vietnam-era (“slick”) helicopter arrived, landed, and then took off with several passengers from the audience. It made several take-offs and landings after the ceremony–one of which you will hear during the interview in this audio episode.

- Dana Bowman, parachute onto the grounds after skydiving from his jump from a helicopter. What is amazing is that Dana–a prior Special Forces Soldier and a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as member of the U.S. Army’s elite GOLDEN KNIGHTS parachute team–lost both of his legs in a mid-air collision in 1994. However, with the artificial limbs, he still hit the target drop zone near the audience to begin the ceremony.

- The guest speaker was Joe Galloway, the author of the book, We Were Soldiers Once…and Young. Ia Drang–the Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam. This book later became a motion picture of the same title, starring Mel Gibson in 2002:

As you will hear in this audio podcast, we did get a chance to interview Joe Galloway after the ceremony.

- The ringing of the travelling and mobile Liberty Bell replica–a fitting mobile memorial dedicated to all those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that have fallen in the line of duty.

- And finally, the unveiling of the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, with all 58,260 names engraved.  This Wall is in the location of what is called the “Museum Gardens,” as the landscaping will add to the honor and respect for this solemn memorial.

After the ceremony, we had a chance to speak with Joe Galloway and get his perspectives of the dedication of this monument. Amidst the background sounds of the “chop-chop” turning of the Huey’s rotor blades (a sound you will NEVER forget), Joe explains to us in this audio interview how much he honors the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and what an honor it is to have earned it.

Now, although Joe was a civilian and correspondent during the Vietnam War, he is the ONLY civilian to have been awarded the Bronze Star, with “V” for VALOR, for what he did during the battle of Ia Drang in saving a soldier’s life. But you will hear him, as he states that the medal he most wishes that he could have is the CIB.

Joe is a noted author, now with the follow-on book, We Were Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam. He is also a public speaker at major events, as well as a supporter of the troops. His support and fervor agrees with the motto portrayed by the association of the Vietnam Veterans of America: “Never again shall one generation of Veterans abandon another.”

Our tribute to Mr. Galloway is to proclaim Joe’s mantra: “Hate War…but love the warrior.”

Thank you, Joe, for your service and for your support of the combat infantrymen–especially to those who have fallen.

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