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By Chuck N. Baker 
(Las Vegas) —A traveling tribute to Vietnam’s fallen made its way to Las Vegas month. The traveling memorial is a replica of the somber wall in Washington D.C. so those who cannot travel can at least view a facsimile in their local cities.  
 
The traveling memorial was on display at Craig Ranch Regional Park. The occasion was the American Patriot Fest, where commercial vendors set up their tents, tables and array of American flags all waving majestically in the breeze.  
 
Veterans, young and old, their spouses, widows, family members and non-military-connected visitors stood in front of the 80-percent scaled down display. They offered prayers and gave silent thanks to the people whose names are etched into history. Representatives from the Vet Center provided free counseling services to those requesting it. Steve Darnell and the Vegas Rat Rods provided music for listening and dancing. Other entertainment included a military vehicle display, a Cars and Stripes automotive showing and close order drill by members of the Rancho High School JROTC.  
 
One family brought their four young children to learn about the war. Their father, an Air Force veteran, said that he wanted to bring his three boys and a daughter to pay their respects, even though they have no friends or relatives whose lives were lost in Vietnam. In some cases, visitors located the names of loved ones and used pencil and paper to complete rubbings to take with them. Others left gifts for the fallen including bottles of beer, pictures, miniature flags and small reminders of past lives.  
 
A spokesman traveling with the wall said it had last been on display in Texas. The next stop was scheduled for Minnesota. But the actual wall will always have a permanent location in the hearts of those who served and their families who remember. 
 
As an aside, the park was a fitting location to display American pride. Craig Ranch Regional Park is located on a former golf course, it was slated to be developed commercially, but the city purchased the land with funds from the Southern Nevada Lands Management Act and redeveloped it into a 170-acre park with numerous amenities for residents to enjoy. Veterans and military groups often hold events at the park throughout the year.