| Destination: Vermont Twenty-five years
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| | with a book and asked if he could help
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| after the war ended--and often longer
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| | me. I said, "No, I was just walking."
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| than that since a loved one died in
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| | Eventually, Miner came back to the
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| it--they still come to The Wall. Eighteen
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| | volunteer with the book. There was a FAC,
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| years after The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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| | he said, a Capt. Miller from
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| was dedicated in Washington, 16 years
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| | Massachusetts. He was shot down and
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| after the first moving walls were built
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| | killed.
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| and began touring the country, they still
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| | "The guy looked it up and he looked at me
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| come, oblivious to the differences in
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| | and said, `It's right behind you,' ''
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| size or scope of the structure.
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| | Miner said.
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| They don't come for its size and scope.
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| | When Miner became president of Chapter
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| They come for the names.
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| | 601 in Bennington, he vowed to bring The
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| "There's nothing abstract about
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| | Moving Wall back. He formed a committee,
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| somebody's name," said John Devitt, one
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| | contacted organizations around the town,
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| of The Moving Wall's builders. "You look
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| | and got commitments for money needed to
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| at a name and you think of a person who
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| | cover the expenses.
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| had hopes and dreams and family and
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| | "The level of community support was mind
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| friends."
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| | boggling, unbelievable," he said.
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| Fred Frappiea Jr., had such hopes and
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| | The local newspaper did a story a day,
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| dreams. They ended on ending on March 22,
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| | business owners gave employees time off
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| 1968, in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. He
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| | work to read names from The Wall, food
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| was 20 years old, a PFC in the 101st
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| | was donated, and the National Guard
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| Airborne, Division when he was killed in
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| | provided tents.
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| action.
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| | "It was remarkable," Miner said. "I think
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| His name appears on Panel 45E, Line 55.
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| | a lot of it came from people needing to
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| His mother, Lona Frappiea, 78, has never
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| | know. They came from all over the state
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| seen it.
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| | and from Massachusetts and New York, too.
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| She went to The Moving Wall when it came
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| | Every time I turned around, there was a
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| to Bennington, Vermont., near her home in
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| | story happening."
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| Saxtons River. But she could not bring
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| | Like the accident of his standing in
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| herself to look at his name. To look at
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| | front of the name he sought, coincidences
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| his name would mean that she had to give
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| | and connections came from surprising
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| him up.
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| | places.
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| "I'll go where The Wall is, but I won't
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| | A veteran seeks a Gold Star Mother to
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| go where his name is," she said. "I've
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| | talk about her son, his buddy from
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| never gone."
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| | Vietnam. Two days later, a retired couple
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| When The Moving Wall came to Vermont, she
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| | from New York ask about a name, a boy the
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| went on a day set aside to honor Gold
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| | man taught in grammar school.
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| Star parents. She wrote a letter to her
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| | It's the same name.
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| son.
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| | A motorcycle rider comes alone. For three
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| A volunteer placed it at the foot of the
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| | days, he speaks to no one. Finally, Miner
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| portable wall under his name.
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| | and others approach and offer him coffee.
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| "I had just become acquainted with VVA
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| | He declines, saying he wants only to hear
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| and the more I saw of them, the better I
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| | one name read.
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| liked them," she said. "You can't get any
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| | They ask if he would like to read the
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| better friend than a Vietnam veteran.
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| | name himself.
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| They're just wonderful people. They're my
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| | "He read it," Miner said. "As soon as he
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| families. I have never met a Vietnam
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| | did, he rode off and we never saw him
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| veteran I didn't love. I wish I could get
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| | again."
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| more Gold Star Mothers active because
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| | Charlene Moffitt, another Vermonter and
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| they don't know the love they'e missing.
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| | the sister of Clifton Bacon, who died in
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| A lot of people ask me how can I get up
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| | Vietnam in 1966, is the only member of
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| and do it, and I tell them, "it's not how
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| | her family who has touched his name. It's
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| can I get up and do it. I do it for my
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| | high on The Wall in Washington and when
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| son."
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| | she went there in 1982 for its
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| When The Wall comes to a community, the
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| | dedication, someone showed her the ladder
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| community invariably responds. When The
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| | she could use.
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| Wall That Heals, sponsored by the Vietnam
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| | "When we buried him, it was never
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| Veterans Memorial Fund, came to Delaware
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| | settled," she said. "They sent him home
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| County, Pa., George Brown spoke of an
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| | in a sealed coffin. I didn't really
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| "outpouring" of support.
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| | believe it was true. But when I saw his
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| "You really don't know what to expect,"
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| | name on The Wall, I thought, that's him."
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| he said. "The things people left at The
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| | Her sister, Christine Bacon, said The
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| Wall showed how it impacted them.
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| | Wall "brought him home."
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| Mementoes, the kind of thing you find
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| | "It was painful to see, but it confirmed
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| down at Washington. But knowing The Wall
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| | it," she said. "I was only sixteen when
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| was temporary, you wouldn't expect the
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| | he died. Charlene was eighteen, and it
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| effort to make up the little things they
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| | was like you couldn't believe it. It
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| left."
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| | brought him home. A lot of people in the
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| A friend had gotten involved in the
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| | 60s said a lot of negative things. When
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| effort to bring The Wall That Heals to
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| | The Wall came to Bennington, it was like
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| Delaware County. Brown advised on the
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| | saying he's a good person and he's home
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| protocols that needed to be followed and
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| | again. We can be proud now. He's got his
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| helped in the research.
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| | own place now. We don't need to protect
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| "There's more awareness today of how
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| | him anymore."
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| people were treated," he said. "There are
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| | They grew up in a small town in a small
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| still a lot of family members around and
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| | state. There were 14 children in their
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| we have quite a few Gold Star Mothers in
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| | hometown and five of them came from the
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| the county. But I talked to three or four
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| | Bacon family. Eight years separated the
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| guys who had never been to The Wall."
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| | five. Clifton Bacon was 21 when he was
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| In Vermont in 1991, John Miner was one of
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| | drafted, 22 when he died.
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| them. The Moving Wall had come to Rutland
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| | "The Moving Wall, the real Wall, it's
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| for two weeks. He couldn't bring himself
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| | hard, all those people, all those guys
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| to go until the last day. Then friends
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| | and women, what they went through,"
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| said they were going and asked him along.
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| | Charlene said. "I'll always go. If I
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| "I got up there and one of those weird
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| | could go tomorrow, I'd go.
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| things happened," he said. "A guy came up
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|
