Flight,
The following info is in regard to an upcomming program that I think will be worth watching.
Tom Gator 851.
Note from The Virtual Wall:
Glenn Teague was a Huey Crew Chief in Co B, 227th AHB
You may visit the memorial page of Captain David Neal Head,
the man whose name Glenn Teague traveled to Washington to see.
http://www.VirtualWall.org/dh/HeadDN01a.htm
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TRAVEL CHANNEL HONORS 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IN
"VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL - WALL OF COURAGE"
SHOWING NOVEMBER 4 & NOVEMBER 10, 2002
--Fifth in Travel Channel's AMERICAN ICONS Series of Specials
Visits The Wall with Glenn Teague, Vietnam Vet from California--
--Special Goes Behind the Scenes of Museum Archives to See Gifts
Left at The Wall, Including Custom-built Harley Davidson from
Wisconsin Veterans --
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL -- WALL OF COURAGE has its world
premiere on the Travel Channel on Monday, November 4 from 9-10 PM
ET/PT with an encore presentation on Sunday, November 10 from 8-9
PM ET/PT. Its airing honors Veterans' Day and the 20th
anniversary of the Memorial. The program is the fifth in the
AMERICAN ICONS series of quarterly specials, which celebrate some
of this country's most revered historical destinations and places
of interest.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also referred to as "The Wall,"
commemorates the more than 58,000 soldiers who died in the war.
Since its dedication in November 1982, the Wall has become a
stark symbol of an unpopular war's tragic losses. With more than
four million visitors annually, it is the most visited memorial
in the nation's capital.
The special follows one Vietnam veteran, Glenn Teague, who has
not seen the Memorial until now. Nervous with anticipation, he
travels from his home in California to Washington D.C. to visit
the Wall; once there, he faces his fears and pays tribute to a
buddy of his who died in the war. He also meets his friend's
sister for the first time in a heart-felt remembrance of the man
they both knew and loved.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the vision of veteran Jan
Scruggs who saw half his company killed in action. He believed
the best way to remember the men and women who died was to create
a memorial that included the each person's name. But raising the
$8 million needed to create the Wall was difficult; Scruggs
battled financial obstacles and opposition to the memorial before
his idea finally became a reality.
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: WALL OF COURAGE shares the story of
the Wall's design and construction. Maya Lin, a 21-year old Yale
architecture student, had a unique vision of a horizontal
memorial as opposed to the traditional vertical memorials for
which Washington is known. Her unconventional design of a
low-lying, dark and modern monument met with much critical
opposition. In fact, the project was almost halted until a
separate, more conventional statue was added to the overall
design.
Visitors to the Wall leave behind thousands of personal
offerings, which are carefully preserved in a nearby museum.
Travel Channel goes behind the scenes at the museum, which is
off-limits to tourists, and talks with a curator about the many
unique and touching tributes. One of the most famous is the
custom-built Harley Davidson that was left at the Wall on
Memorial Day, 1995. Known as the "Wisconsin Rolling Memorial,"
the motorcycle was hand-built by a group of Wisconsin veterans to
pay tribute to those who died or are missing in action. The bike
was lovingly crafted by many different hands, all contributing a
portion of the bike. Even dog tags from 37 MIAs were included on
the bike.
Also impacted by the Vietnam War are more than 20,000 children
who either have only a vague memory of their fathers or none at
all. VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL - WALL OF COURAGE shares the story
of Tony Cordero, founder of "Sons and Daughters in Touch," which
helps unite the children whose fathers didn't make it home from
Vietnam. Each year they gather at the Wall to honor their lost
fathers.
AMERICAN ICONS: VIETNAM MEMORIAL: WALL OF COURAGE is produced for
the Travel Channel by LMNO Productions. Lisa Bourgoujian is the
executive producer, Kathryn Kaycoff is the supervising producer.
Kathleen Cromley is the executive producer for the Travel
Channel.
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The Travel Channel expects to launch their web site covering this
event on 15 October 2002. Below are a few things you can expect
to see:
* Letters at the Wall: A special forum for people to share
their stories about visiting the wall. Visitors will see a
large image of the Wall itself and post their experiences
below.
* Offerings at the Wall: A photo gallery of the objects people
have left at the wall over the years.
* Voices of the Wall: A series of Flash-based mini
documentaries from National Park Service Rangers and NPS
volunteers who work at the Wall. They share stories and
history of what the wall means to people.
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