Vietnam Moving Wall Announcement Ceremony June 14 in Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — Flag Day will have a special meaning this year when an official ceremony is held announcing Oswego as the next location for the Vietnam Moving Wall in 2017.  

The announcement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. June 14 at the Veterans Memorial located in downtown Oswego.

General Chairman Herschel Luckinbill, a longtime resident of the Fox Valley area and a Vietnam veteran, was the driving force in bringing the wall to Oswego.

“I was fortunate enough to have brought the wall to Aurora a few years ago and I just felt it important that we recognize our long forgotten heroes in my hometown area,” Luckinbill said in a press release.

Luckinbill is also the founder of the Fox Valley Breakfast Club that meets on a regular basis and gathers 60-70 vets for breakfast and discussions.

The Wall will come to rest at the Oswegoland Park District’s Prairie Point fields located on Plainfield Road near the ball fields and Splash Pad. Park President Dave Krahn, who is also a Chairman on the committee, outlined the organization currently in motion for the week’s activities.

“The wall will arrive in Oswego on June 29 (2017) early in the morning,” Krahn said in the release. It will then be placed on a pre-built platform and the solemn proceedings will begin. All 58,272 names will be individually read by volunteers.”

Krahn added that the committee is looking for volunteers, area veterans, financial donors and anyone else who would like to be a part of the tribute.

“We need to raise about $50,000 and literally need hundreds of volunteers as the activity is 24/7 once it arrives,” he said.

The Moving Wall in Oswego is a collaboration between the Village of Oswego, Oswegoland Park District, School District 308, Oswego Chamber of Commerce and the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club.

Interested parties can visit the Facebook site Vietnam Wall Oswego 2017 to become involved, or contact Dave Krahn at krahn.david@gmail.com or Herschel Luckinbill at luckinbill1603@sbcglobal.net.

“It is truly an honor for this Wall to make a stop in Oswego,” Luckinbill said. “Our residents will be awestruck at the power of this memorial and we have an impressive program being put together by our committee. I urge you to mark your calendars as you will marvel at the ceremonies.”

For more information contact Herschel Luckinbill at 630-801-9591 or Dave Krahn at 630-373-3299.