ROCK FALLS, Ill. — A free, traveling display honoring veterans of the Vietnam, 9/11, Desert Storm Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts will arrive in Rock Falls, IL, for Labor Day weekend.
When soldiers are deployed, they give an oath to our country to defend our way of life, even if it means giving the ultimate sacrifice. Those killed in combat are honored every Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but one organization makes it easier for veterans back in the states to pay their respects to their fallen servicemen.
On Thursday, Aug. 31, the Traveling Vietnam Memorial is coming to Rock Falls.
The memorial wall will be escorted into town with a procession and opening ceremony, followed by an army band concert, before being dismantled on Monday, Sept. 4. Everything is free to the public.
Veterans are invited to help escort the Vietnam and 9/11 memorial walls into town on the 31st.
Interested veterans will need to sign up ahead of time by calling the Rock Falls Tourism Office at 815-622-1106. There are 56 seats available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Veterans will meet at the RB&W District at 201 East 2nd Street in Rock Falls at 9 a.m. on the 31st, where transportation will bring them to the escort meeting site.
Community members are invited to line 1st Avenue at 10 a.m. to watch the veterans escort the memorial wall. Signs are encouraged and small American flags will be passed out along the route.
Then on Saturday, Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Rock Falls VFW will have a porkchop sandwich, brat and hotdog cookout on the corner of Avenue A and 2nd Street in Rock Falls.
The schedule of events is as follows:
- Thurs. Aug. 31 - 10 a.m. escorting of the walls into Rock Falls
- Fri. Sept. 1 - 6 p.m. opening ceremony at the RB&W District
- Sat. Sept. 2 - 11 a.m. Rock Falls VFW cookout
- Sun. Sept. 3 - 2 p.m. 144th Army Band Concert
- Sun. Sept. 3 - 4 p.m. closing ceremony at the RB&W District
- Mon. Sept. 4 - 8 a.m. dismantling of the walls
According to Melinda Jones with Visit Rock Falls, she says, "The purpose of the wall is to help heal and rekindle friendships, and allow people the opportunity to honor loves ones who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington."
The display itself is a fraction of the original memorial in Washington DC, and will also feature scaled versions of the 9/11 memorial, and displays for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
According to a website dedicated to the memorial, the display will start in Peru, IL, for a salute to first responders event on Aug. 24, before making its way to Rock Falls by Aug. 31. The exhibit is open for 24 hours a day, and will move to their next location early on Sept. 4.
A full schedule for the display can be found on the Traveling Wall website.
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