Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall honors veterans from around the area
“You drive down the main street and see all of these banners that is a testament as to how many people stood up and took the oath and tried to make a difference for our country and our community.”
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - This weekend will be one of the busiest of the year for the City of Parkston.
“We have speakers, entertainers, authors coming, we have concerts every night and we have veterans service officers,” Organizer Rob Monson said.
The memorial wall coming to town is not just about fun and games though. Iraqi war veteran Rob Monson decided he wanted to bring the memorial wall to Parkston to honor those who served in the Vietnam war.
“When I came home it was an entirely different homecoming than what the Vietnam-era guys came home, so for me, I want to do something in the community alongside our other committee members to give them a welcome home they never received,” Monson said.
Seeing and hearing veterans’ reactions to the wall coming to Parkston has been the highlight of the week for Munson.
“He said to me I will never have the chance to go to Washington D.C. and get to see the memorial there and he was a Vietnam veteran so for him to get to come here in basically his backyard and get to see this was very moving for him,” Monson said.
The memorial wall is not the only thing honoring veterans as memorials for those that lost their lives in war can be seen throughout the city.
“You drive down the main street and see all of these banners that is a testament as to how many people stood up and took the oath and tried to make a difference for our country and our community,” U.S. Army Staff Sargent Jimmy Holloway said.
Festivities will continue in Parkston until 3:00 p.m. Monday afternoon, for more information click here.
Copyright 2022 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.