| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
The Wall that Heals opening ceremonies in Somerset, KY Adair Countians Joe Hare and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Robertson from Adair Countians among those who attended Monday events in Somerset, KY Click on headline for full story plus photo(s) By Sharon Dodson Center for Rural Development, Somerset, KY Vietnam Veteran Claude Davis was one of nearly 150 people who came to the opening ceremony for The Wall That Heals - the mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Museum - on Monday on the grounds of The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. In addition to performing The National Anthem at the event, Davis came with a specific mission. He was determined to find the name of his friend and fallen comrade, James Jenkins, who died in a foxhole in Vietnam at the moment Davis had stepped away from his combat post to catch a short nap. "I was standing watch, and I couldn't keep awake," he said, his voice shaking at times with emotion. "I couldn't keep my eyes open." Shortly thereafter, he said, his unit was under attack by mortar rounds. "I think about that a lot," Davis said, looking out at the black half-scale replica of the actual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. With the assistance of Wall staff, Davis located Jenkins' name, just as many other visitors did for family, friends, loved ones, or acquaintances of their own whose names are among the more than 58,000 names of service members killed or reported missing in action during the war. The Wall will be located on the grounds of The Center through the closing ceremony at noon on Saturday, May 14. This is the only location in Kentucky where The Wall may be viewed by the public in 2011, and loved ones of Kentucky veterans are encouraged to bring a photos of service members whose names are on The Wall to be scanned for a future exhibit in a planned Education Center to be constructed near the actual Wall in Washington, DC. At Monday's kickoff breakfast and opening ceremony, local, state, and national leaders came together in the shadow of The Wall on a bright, sunny day to pay their respects for all veterans and military service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to country. "This monument is more than just a recognition of the people whose names appear on The Wall," U.S. Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) told the crowd surrounding The Wall on the front lawn of The Center. "It is also a heart-felt place for all Vietnam Veterans ... a place of great release and comfort and feeling of sharing in a great momentous event and occasion that was the war. "We thank you for your service," Rogers added, recognizing all military service members in the audience. "We welcome you into our homes and our hearts. We want your peace and comfort, and we want you to know how deeply and profoundly we feel appreciative to your service." Jan Scruggs, president and founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), said that during The Wall's one-week stay at The Center, the VVMF will be collecting photographs of the 1,058 Kentuckians who gave their lives in service to country during the Vietnam War. Currently the organization only has around 245 photos of those Kentucky service members. "We want The Center to help generate a significant showing for The Wall, and we encourage people from across Kentucky to visit us and help build the photo collection while the memorial is stationed in our great state," said Center President and CEO Lonnie Lawson, who also served as event emcee. Loved ones can bring photos to the traveling museum, located in the South Parking Lot at The Center, and have those photos scanned onsite while they visit The Wall. "This will be a place where people will learn about service, sacrifice, duty, and these important values that have preserved our nation for 200 years," Scruggs said. Ret. Brigadier General and Vietnam Veteran Dan Cherry told those in attendance about how he served his country as a decorated fighter pilot in U.S. Air Force, sharing his emotional story of healing and reconciliation with the crowd. In an intense dogfight over the skies near Hanoi, North Vietnam, Cherry told how he carried out a successful mission in his F-4 Phantom shooting down a North Vietnamese MiG-21. "It was an incredible experience," he said. Nearly 40 years after that mission, Cherry was reunited with the North Vietnamese pilot, and the two became friends. He chronicles this experience in his book, "My Enemy, My Friend - a Story of Reconciliation from the Vietnam War." "We want to thank those families who worried and supported their loves ones so much, and continue to support them even today," Cherry said. "But most of all, we want to be thankful of the courage, bravery, and dedication for all those who paid the ultimate price." As part of the opening ceremony, attendees also heard from Chaplain Clarence Floyd of the Somerset American Legion Post 38 Honor Guard, which joined with students from the Southwestern High School JROTC program to parade in the flags of all service branches. Established in 1996 through the vision of U.S. Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers, (KY-05), and other leaders, The Center for Rural Development is a nonprofit organization fueled by a mission to provide leadership that stimulates innovative and sustainable economic development solutions and a better way of life in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. In its 42-county primary service region, The Center provides innovative programs in leadership, public safety, technology, and arts and culture. The Center is committed to constantly expanding its capabilities in order to deliver a range of key services throughout Kentucky and the nation. This story was posted on 2011-05-10 14:50:22
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know.
More articles from topic News:
Wedding announcement: Milby - Chrisman Glens Fork Church of the Nazarene will have Saturday services Glory Heirs at Tabor Church May 15, 2011 Myra Harrison: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at Farmers Market Thinks Haskinsville structure is Embry-Cox House Bob Barnes could write a book about trip to Alabama Loup Langton named director of WKU Journalism, Broadcasting Judge Melton to declare Relay for Life week State closing unneeded Frankfort, KY prison Columbia VFW Post 6097, Auxiliary meet May 12, 2011 View even more articles in topic News |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
