Last Day to Visit Moving Vietnam Wall

It was his turn.

Vietnam veteran Michael Zarembski took the Sunday morning watch at the Moving Vietnam Wall in Hazel Crest. “A Vietnam Vet has to take watch 24 hours a day, at the wall,” said Zarembski.

Zarembski has been Commander of Bremen VFW Post 2791 for several years. “I’ve given my life for this country,” adds Zarembski. “I graduated in 1969, within months I was in Vietnam.”

Rough around the edges but a diamond in the rough, Zarembski loves the people he serves at the post and his buddies that are on the wall. “They all didn’t come home.”

According to the Hazel Crest website, The Wall contains the names of Americans who gave their last measure of devotion to the nation during the Vietnam War. As of Memorial Day 2015, there are 58,307 names. These are names of military personnel who were wounded in Vietnam between 1957 and 1975 and ultimately died of their wounds. (1959 and 1975 are the years inscribed on The Wall.)

Plaques from surrounding communities that lost their local “sons” of the community lined the Moving Wall. Names from Chicago Heights, South Chicago Heights, Lansing, Harvey, Tinley Park, Ford Heights, Homewood and Hazel Crest. Young men from the south suburbs who were killed in Vietnam are still being honored this day.

Monday, May 9 around 2 p.m. the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Moving Wall will close. It has been open 24 hours since it’s arrival on May 5.

The Moving Wall is located on the grounds near the Hazel Crest Municipal Center, 3000 W. 170th Place.