WALL: SIKESTON HOSTS `MOVING' EXPERIENCE

SIKESTON -- A can of Old Style beer, a dozen red roses, a wreath with red, white, blue and yellow ribbon and plenty of American flags are among the items left at the Vietnam Veteran's Moving Wall memorial since it has been in Sikeston.

"Some people use the wall as the grave they don't have," said Sandie Hulen of Sikeston, a volunteer at the wall. "They leave everything from flowers and poems, to torn-out pages from high school yearbooks and newspaper clippings."

The artifacts from the Moving Wall are sent to San Jose, Calif., and will be eventually sent to a museum in Washington, D.C., to be displayed in glass cases.

The Moving Wall is a one-half scale of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington. The names on the wall are a chronological listing of casualties from that war.

There are two Moving Walls, with the first Moving Wall being completed in October of 1984 and first being displayed in Tyler, Texas, that same month. The second Moving Wall was completed in March of 1987.

Hulen said that the Moving Wall is booked two to three years in advance. "The state of Indiana is the closest the wall will be to Missouri for the next two years," Hulen said.

"One lady who came to the wall was about 75 and had taught school during the Vietnam War," Hulen said. "Out of her senior class of 18, four students died in Vietnam."

Hulen said the lady said she was thrilled to come and see the Moving Wall. "She just broke down and cried."

Hulen said when she asked another man if she could help him find a name on the wall, he said, "There are just too many.'

Hulen said Gold Star Mothers are women who lost a son or daughter during the Vietnam War.

"One Gold Star Mother told us she was so happy to see the wall," said Hulen. "The mother said, `I had my son for 20 years and I haven't had him for 20 more years, and no one wants to talk about it."

Ron Creed of Sikeston is a volunteer at the wall. "I'm a disabled veteran of Vietnam," he said. "I've got some friends and a cousin on the wall."

Charles Wyrick of Morehouse is a volunteer and a veteran of World War II. He said he volunteered because he is retired and it gives him something to do. "The wall is nice, but it's also sad," he said.

Purp Lavendar, Kevin Stratton and Berry Hawkins are Vietnam Veterans from Murphysboro, Ill.

Lavendar said the wall was more or less like the coming home of the soldiers. "It's a great tribute," he said. "I have 48 buddies on one panel and I like to see the Moving Wall if it's anywhere close."

Stratton said that it is hard to see the wall because it brings back sorrow. "I'm glad they bring it back to hometowns," he said. "It's like bringing these boys home one last time."

Haskins said the wall brings a lot of sadness. "They all died for the same cause," he said, "fighting for the freedom of their country."

Leroy Parmenter is in charge of security and parking at the Moving Wall. He said that the wall gives him happy and sad feelings. "A close family friend was one of the first ones killed over there," Parmenter said.

Hulen said to see the Moving Wall at night, with all lights illuminating it, is like being in a church.

There are 14 names on the wall from Cape Girardeau County, 18 from Scott County and 12 from Stoddard County. From Missouri, 1,407 people were killed in action or are missing in action because of the Vietnam War.

Hulen said a lot of children from area schools like Dexter, Caruthersville, Chaffee and East Prairie have visited the Moving Wall.

One of the groups of children from Richland Elementary School in Essex start reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. They break the silence and interrupt the thoughts of the visitors at the Moving Wall.

Clint Holman, a visitor at the wall from Sikeston came to see it for the first time. "I came to see if there are any names on the wall that I knew," Holman said.

Fred and Trudy Carter of Poplar Bluff visited the moving wall together. Their son served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam and came home wounded.

Trudy Carter said the wall makes her feel very sad. "I am grateful that my boy came home," she said, "but the wall is a little late."

"It made me sad to see the welcome home for the boys in the desert," she said, "when our boys had to practically be snuck in the back door."

A path of American flags more than a mile long leads the way to the Moving Wall, which will be at Rotary Park in Sikeston until Monday.

"Four of the flags were stolen the first night the Moving Wall was up," said Greg Kenley of Sikeston, a volunteer at the Moving Wall.

"I wanted to help with the Moving Wall," Kenley said. "I think it's a just cause and I want to be a part of it."

Kenley said he saw the wall in Washington and compared the two. With the Moving Wall, he said, someone who lives down the road from you is looking for their loved ones.

"I saw someone I knew and asked what they were doing at the wall," he said. "The told me, `My son's name is on the wall.' I had no idea."

Kenley said that people do not want to talk about Vietnam. "It wasn't easy then and it's not easy now," he said.

Hulen said volunteers are plentiful. "Burger King, pizza, doughnut and chicken places have given free food to the Moving Wall volunteers," said Hulen. Over 43 businesses and organizations have made contributions.

Bizzell Lawn Care and Nursery of Sikeston donated and planted the flowers and the mulch at the wall. "We did it because it is a good cause and a good community project," said David Bizzell.

The Moving Wall is co-sponsored by the Sikeston Jaycees and Fire Base Sikeston.