181 South Walnut Street, Hagerstown, Maryland
Dedication Week
The days before the Dedication Ceremony were stressful.
For seemingly weeks, there was little going on at the site, and then,
all of a sudden there was a flurry of activity.
We set the Dedication Date, hoping that we would have more than this almost empty site to dedicate to our Vietnam Veterans and their families.
Monday, March 25, 2019 ...
our security system was installed.
Just two days before the Dedication was to take place,
we arrived on site
to find these two beautiful trucks - one was carrying our precious cargo, and the other one
would be responsible
for unloading the pieces
and placing them in their final resting places
The tractor trailer containing our monument turned around
at Park Circle,
came north up South Walnut Street, pulled UP West Baltimore Street,
then backed down,
across Walnut,
and into the open lot by our site.
We saw photos of the finished work
but pictures can't compare
to the actual granite pieces.
We said a lot of prayers
for the monument to arrive safely
... more prayers are now being said for the pieces to be set
without incident.
It was truly fascinating to see this transference from trailer to pad take place.
The back side of the right monument is displayed showing
the Eagle
is about to land.
The front of the left monument is almost at its final destination.
Holding our breath,
we waited
until every piece lifted in the air was safely back
on the ground.
We had quite a few spectators who gathered to watch history in the making in Washington County.
The last piece to be taken from the trailer, the top arch, was actually the first piece to rest on the
monument pad.
This arch was lifted high in the air, higher than some thought
it needed to be.
The arch would rest on the concrete pad until all other pieces of the monument were in place, then would be lifted again for the final time before being placed on the supporting pedestals.
The final addition
to the monument site
is put in place
on Thursday -
the day before the dedication!
We tried to keep this
a surprise ...
it was one of the
"extras"
that we added to the site.
Finishing touches are made on the installation.
This entrance sign
encompasses
the message
that we want to pass on
to all
Vietnam Veterans.
Two different
era Veterans
...
but brothers
in spirit
...
and proud
to have served
their country.