A scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is coming to the World War I Museum for Memorial Day.
Veterans on motorcycles with be escorting a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to Midtown on Thursday afternoon, getting ready for its display over Memorial Day weekend at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.
Several replicas of the Vietnam wall travel the country. This one, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, is an 80 percent scale replica of the wall and measures about 400 feet long.
“It may not be that easy for people to get to Washington D.C.,” National World War I Museum spokesman Mike Vietti says. “So for many people, this will be a good opportunity to see a replica of the Vietnam Memorial.”
Local citizens on motorcycles often meet the traveling wall exhibits as they are being transported and escort them to their destination. Vietti says on Thursday, the bikers will be riding from about 40 miles south of Kansas City through Midtown to the museum at 100 W. 26th Street.
An opening ceremony for the traveling wall is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22. The exhibit will be open to the public until a closing ceremony on Monday, May 25 at 2:30 p.m. The museum is looking for volunteers to help with hosting the wall.
Local veterans and writers from the group RezVets and the Writers Place are also planning a writing exercise for people visiting the traveling wall.
“Participants will be asked to write a six-word memoir about their experiences in Vietnam or their memories of the war. This exercise attempts to have writers tell a story with the absolute minimum of words. An example is Hemingway’s well-known six-word memoir: “For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.” That’s scheduled for noon to 2 p.m., Monday, May 25.” according to organizers.
The museum is also offering other events for the holiday weekend.
- The museum will offer free admission to the public on Memorial Day (May 25) courtesy of Lead Bank. The public ceremony at 10 a.m. features officials, dignitaries, and patriotic performances.
- A display of vintage military vehicles from Saturday, May 23 to Monday, May 25 includes nearly 30 vintage military vehicles from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
- A Vietnam Era Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” Helicopter display from Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25
Hours and parking: The National World War I Museum will be open on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Monday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Access to the AVTT Traveling Vietnam Wall is available at any time from Friday afternoon through Monday at 3 p.m. with the exception of 7-11 p.m. on Sunday. To accommodate expected high Memorial Day weekend attendance, a parking shuttle service will be available Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25 from the West Yards Garage at Union Station.
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