1,200 motorcycles roar into Wickham Park

Tim Shortt, FLORIDA TODAY

Carol Derk of Titusville looks through the panels in search of her then-husband, David Osborne, a Marine killed in 1969. "I was pregnant with our only child when it happened," she said. The arrival of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall at Wickham Park in Melbourne precedes the annual veterans reunion, which begins Thursday.

Vietnam Traveling Wall escorted to park
Veterans reunion begins Thursday
BY KIMBERLY C. MOORE • FLORIDA TODAY • April 21, 2008


MELBOURNE -- As they have each year for two decades, volunteers Sunday assembled a Vietnam memorial in just a few hours, displaying a replica of the famous wall in Washington, D.C.

There are 58,256 names on the memorial, men and women who served and died in Southeast Asia between 1956 and 1975.

Gary Seibert, 59, sought out the name of a buddy.

"William R. Kersey Jr.," said Seibert, touching the name of the pilot with whom he served. Kersey died when his helicopter crashed Sept. 1, 1970, in Long Khan, South Vietnam. He is listed on Panel 7, Row 31.

"He got killed after I left," said Seibert, who lives on Merritt Island. "He was just a smiley guy -- upbeat, fun, positive, always ready to go. Full of life . . . It was a shame he had to go."

Ken Baker, treasurer of the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard, was among about 1,200 motorcycle riders who Sunday morning escorted the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall from Brevard Community College's Cocoa campus to Wickham Park. The memorial's arrival precedes the annual veterans reunion, which begins Thursday.

Baker, who was second in line, said he was riding to remember Brevard resident Maj. Morgan Donahue, who disappeared when his plane was shot down over Laos on Dec. 13, 1968.

"His parents have passed away," Baker said. "But we remember him."

Some people came Sunday to support soldiers who may have been ignored when they returned home from the unpopular war. And they want their family members to be treated better.
click post title for more

I drove there yesterday to meet my husband who was riding as one of the escorts. The problem was, I didn't expect so many bikes. I was stuck behind the police waiting for all the bikes to pull in. It took over half an hour. I was too far away to get it on film. I have to tell you that I was very moved and glad I drove that far and not even get to see my husband. We'll head back there this weekend and I'll have plenty of pictures to put up.