The price of freedom is written on the wall.

Monday, November 11, 2013: Veterans Day – Honoring our fallen heroes.

Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall … and looking for a hometown boy.

In the shadow of the American flag, “The price of freedom is written on the wall”.

Little did we know when we rolled into Bullhead City, Arizona a week ago that the Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall would be on display over the Veterans Day Weekend across the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada.

The Wall is an 80 percent replica of the original, standing 8 feet high by 360 feet long.  The statistics say there were 58,281 casualties during the Vietnam War.  Statistics – what a cold term.  Each “statistic” was someone’s child, parent, spouse, sibling, friend. 

Looking for our hometown Iowa boy.

I was looking for only one name, Roger McCord.  To my recollection, he was the only young man from my small hometown in Iowa that was killed in the war.  He was near my older brother’s age, and I don’t believe I ever met him; but 45 years later, I can still pull his name to the forefront of my mind in an instant.  I can’t say for certain why, but probably because at the time of Roger’s death, I knew it could have been my big brother.  Thankfully it wasn’t, but how sad for Roger’s loved ones.

Fallen Hero: Panel 36W, Line 41.

We walk to the tent holding “the book of names” of the fallen heroes.  What a strange feeling thumbing through a book full of names of young men and women that didn’t come home – would never come home again.  I can’t imagine as a mother, sister, or daughter seeing your loved one’s name in print with the “Panel and Line” to locate their name on the Wall.  Maybe for some that pain has lessened over the decades – some perhaps not.

We find Roger C. McCord and jot down Panel 36W, Line 41 on the paper given to us.  We turn toward the Wall and slowly walk toward the west side.  We find Roger’s name.

I bend down, place the paper over his name, and start sliding a pencil back and forth across the paper.  The imprint of ROGER C. MCCORD appears on the paper.

     

Couples standing, arms around one another as they view the Wall.

A solitary older gentleman facing a panel, seemingly unable to walk away.  Looking at the name of a brother?  A friend?  A comrade?

Who is drawn to the Wall to honor our Fallen Heroes?

Mostly we see older folks quietly walking along the Wall – ones who most likely understand the pain of the war from a very personal perspective.  There were a few young adults with parents or grandparents.  One older lady says to her grandchildren, “No, your grandfather survived the war … but not his brother.”

Freedom is not free.  You will never be forgotten.

People leave American flags, flowers, unopened cans of beer, mini bottles of Jack Daniels, anything that reminds them of the one they are here to honor.  No matter how each remembers their loved one – they will never be forgotten.

 

Now, as I hold the imprinted name of my Fallen Hero, Roger McCord, on a single piece of paper, I can’t bring myself to part with it.  I’ll tuck it away with other items of importance that I can’t seem to give up.

One young man, Roger McCord, among thousands who gave their lives.  Freedom is not free.  May God bless Roger and every one of our nation’s heroes.