THE OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE VIETNAM MOVING WALL WAS HELD AT
4 THIS AFTERNOON, AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN MAQUOKETA. IT LASTED AROUND 45 MINUTES. SEVEN MAQUOKETA GIRL SCOUTS GAVE THE PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE AND PASTOR NATHAN COMBS OF THE FAITH COMMUNITY
CHURCH GAVE THE INVOCATION AND BENEDICTION. JACKSON COUNTY
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN, LARRY "BUCK" KOOS, FOREGROUND ABOVE, GAVE THE WELCOME. LEONARD ERNST, FROM THE AMERICAN
LEGION POST 273 IN BELLEVUE (AND THE 2ND DISTRICT VICE-COMMANDER)
SEATED IN BACKGROUND, INTRODUCED THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER, JERRY SEBBEN,
WHO IS THE COMMANDER OF THE IOWA AMERICAN LEGION. TOM WATERS OF MAQUOKETA, VFW COMMANDER OF THE O'CONNOR REGENWETHER POST,
READ THE AREA NAMES OF DECEASED. THERE WERE SERVICE CLUB
REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OVER EASTERN IOWA THAT POSTED THE COLORS.
THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WAS RECORDED AND YOU CAN WATCH IT ON
THE NEW MAQUOKETA VFW WEB SITE.....www.maquoketavfw.webs.com
CLICK-ON ALL THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM. IT WAS A CLOUDY, BREEZY
AFTERNOON AND COOL, BUT NO RAIN DURING THE PROGRAM. IT WAS MY
PLEASURE TO BE THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES AND THE PROGRAM WAS
ALSO BROADCAST "LIVE" ON KMAQ AM AND FM. A VERY IMPRESSIVE
CEREMONY THAT WAS WATCHED IN PERSON BY QUITE A FEW PEOPLE....A GOOD
TURNOUT CONSIDERING IT WAS A COOL AFTERNOON. THOUSANDS ARE
EXPECTED TO COME TO MAQUOKETA BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MONDAY
AFTERNOON TO VIEW THE WALL. I WILL HAVE A COUPLE MORE PHOTOS
TOMORROW AND ALSO A LIST OF KMAQ AREA SERVICEMEN WHOSE NAME
APPEARS ON THE MOVING WALL, A REPLICA OF THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
PHOTOS BY DENNIS VOY

THE BELLEVUE BELLES (MARY REED, VIVIAN PITLO, LAURA HORST) SANG
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, A MEDLEY OF SERVICE SONGS, AND LATER
IN PROGRAM, GOD BLESS THE USS.

LOOKING TO THE EAST, AFTER CEREMONY, PEOPLE START GOING FROM
ONE ALUMINUM PANEL TO ANOTHER WITH NAMES. THE WALL WILL BE
OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY UNTIL MONDAY AFTERNOON, WHEN A CLOSING
CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE WALL. THERE IS NO ADMISSION,
BUT THERE ARE CONTAINERS ON THE WALL WHERE DONATIONS CAN
BE LEFT.

AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, MANY WENT RIGHT TO THE WALL
VIEW THE NAMES. THE WALL RUNS EAST - WEST IN GRASS AREA
TO THE NORTH OF THE RED BARN AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE AT THE WALL, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN NAME, THEY GO TO THE TENT FIRST, LOOK UP THE NAME AND WHEN THEY
FIND THE NAME, IT WILL TELL THEM WHAT PANEL IT IS IN.

LIGHT OCCASIONAL RAIN TODAY, COOL, BREEZY AND A HIGH IN THE LOW
60'S.
TOMORROW AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND, SUNNY , DRY AND WARMER...
IN THE 70'S.

BEGINNING MONDAY, LOW FLYING PLANES WILL BE SPRAYING FOR GYPSY
MOTHS IN JACKSON COUNTY. MOST OF THE SPRAYING WILL BE DONE
IN THE WOODLANDS AREA. TWO OTHER COUNTIES WILL BE DONE ALSO.
JACKSON COUNTY IS A HEAVY WOODLANDS COUNTY.

DENNIS VOY