Bikers gathered to escort the Moving Wall

Moving Wall arrives
By JO ANN BOBBY-GILBERT (jgilbert@reviewonline.com)


EAST LIVERPOOL - They came from a variety of towns by a variety of conveyances, but their reason for coming was one and the same: to honor the vets.

As early as 7:30 a.m., the roar of motorcycles could be heard traveling toward Calcutta as bikers gathered to escort the Moving Wall to its resting place in Thompson Park.

About 100 riders, many members of the Rolling Thunder veterans' group, solemnly led the trailer hauling the packed-up pieces of the memorial to the park, where it was assembled almost reverently by a group of assorted volunteers.

Dressed in their leather chaps and vests to ward off the early morning cold, the riders included city Councilmen Bink Applegate and James Tennant and city firefighter Jeff Southall.

As the first piece was carried to the apex, onlookers stood quietly, only the clicking of scores of cameras to be heard as history was recorded again in the river city.

This was the second visit to the city for the memorial, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors when it reposed in the park during the Memorial Day weekend in 1994, glistening black panels proudly bearing its stark message for all to see.

Again this time, the community stepped up to the cause, headed by local veteran Ron Simmons, donating money and their time to bring the memorial back to town, prepare a place for it and set it up.

"It's all about our veterans," Mayor Jim Swoger said, as he watched the work progress, each shining black panel carried by two volunteers to its resting place.

"It's an honorable thing, and that's what it's going to be the whole time it's here," Swoger said.
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