The Wall That Heals Has 'Gorgeous And Somber' North Shore Impact

Swampscott MA

16 July, 2021

10:59 AM

Description

NAHANT, MA — Bob Fields stood at "The Wall That Heals" Vietnam War Memorial on the Lowlands Athletic Field softball diamond at 1:30 in the morning Friday with a former U.S. Army photographer from the North Shore who was going through pictures he said he had not looked at in years. The Commander of the Nahant American Legion Post 215 said the photographer told a story or two about his time serving in Vietnam, then led him to the memorial where he found the names of five helicopter crew members whom he'd flown with who were killed in the war shortly after left to come back to America. Just a few hours later, shortly after the sun came up over the beach along Nahant Road, Fields was back out at the memorial with another Vietnam veteran who grew emotional as he paid tribute at the powerful and captivating structure that arrived at the site Wednesday and will remain open 24 hours a day through Sunday at 2 p.m. "He was clearly having a tough time," Fields told Patch. "That's why it's important that the wall is open 24 hours because a lot of times those men don't want to be around other people or talk about it while they are there. "It's important to remember the history and the sacrifice that those men made." The Wall That Heals, a moving replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., stretches 375 feet and stands 7½ feet high. It includes the names of the 58,000 Americans killed in Vietnam as well as an information tent open 24 hours a day. Those who want to experience the wall quietly by themselves are encouraged to do so, but for those who want to engage and learn more about the war that ended nearly a half-century ago, there are trained ambassadors who are among the more than 150 North Shore volunteers at one of only two locations in New England where the wall will visit this year. There is also a smartphone app that will help visitors locate particular names, which are listed in chronological order of death. Fields said he does not know whether to expect 500 visitors or 5,000 visitors a day this weekend, but encouraged anyone interested in learning about the significant history of Vietnam to come and view what he called a "gorgeous and somber" spectacle. "Many people don't know what this wall is and what it represents with the names on it and what it means it means for the nation," Fields said. "You have people in their 20s and 30s, all the way up to their early 40s, who don't remember Vietnam or really know what it was about and everything that was happening at the time." Fields said Nahant was supposed to host the wall for Post 215's 100-year anniversary in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed those plans a year. He said there is extensive signage and free, convenient parking this weekend for anyone from the North Shore who wants to see the memorial. "It's certainly an honor to be selected to host the wall," Field said. "We're the only Greater Boston stop this year. It's very personal for the town of Nahant because we're the smallest town in Massachusetts by landmass, but we're a town that has a lot of multi-generational families with members who served in that war." Two former Nahant residents — U.S. Air Force Major James A. Magnusson and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Richard R. Davis — were killed in Vietnam and are being remembered at the site this week with enhanced memorials. "We are fortunate in Nahant to have two veterans who are 101 and 102 years old," Fields said. "But beyond them, the Vietnam veterans are our oldest veterans now. It's very important to remember what it was like for them and what they did for their country and those who came after them." A special Welcome Home Ceremony will be held on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. for all the soldiers who never received the proper "welcome home" after their service in Southeast Asia. "Vietnam veterans made sure the next generation of soldiers and airmen did not face what they faced when they came home from the war," Fields said. "They are important not only for what they did for the country while in Vietnam, but for what they still do taking care of the people who have served since." Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.) More Patch Coverage: Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall Coming To North Shore