MILITARY TRIBUTE
AVTT
Destination Westmoreland 2018 | 25
coordinating volunteer efforts, raising additional funds to
pay for associated costs and organizing the different groups
and displays that will be on hand at the wall during its time
in town.
Various members of the community will be sharing
photos, memorabilia and information related to the war,
including ongoing POW/MIA efforts and how to get help if a
family member is suffering from the effects of Agent Orange.
Greene is planning on a Hero’s Display, which will honor
past and present service members of all branches from
throughout the community.
Local American Legion and VFW posts will be holding
ceremonies, and Greene said they also hope to have some
military equipment and vehicles on display.
A name locator database will be available, and visitors will
be able to use pencils to take etchings of names just as they
can at the wall in Washington.
Organizers have spoken to representatives from Franklin
Regional School District, Mother of Sorrows School and the
Home Cyber School Association about bringing students to
visit the wall.
One of the goals of bringing the wall to town is to help
educate students who haven’t visited the memorial in
Washington.
“And to just understand more of what they’re learning
about and the sacrifices that were made, not only in Vietnam
but with service in general,” Greene said.
The traveling wall, which takes about three to four hours
to assemble, is 8 feet high and 360 feet long. It holds the
same 58,318 names engraved on the wall in Washington,
D.C., as of Memorial Day 2017. That includes the names of
the 97 men from Westmoreland County who were killed in
Vietnam. Two who Greene and Lawrence are aware of were
from the immediate area: Harry Patrick Yingling of Export
and Deane Van Dyke Jr. of Delmont. Both served in the U.S.
Army.
Yingling was the brother of Herb Yingling, the assistant
athletic director, a school board member and Parks and Rec-reation
Commission liaison for Franklin Regional. Greene
said they are planning something special to honor those
men and are seeking the community’s help in identifying
any other Murrysville locals whose names are on the wall.
There is no charge to visit the wall, and people can come at
any time. It will be open to the public 24 hours a day while
in town. It will be lit at night and staffed by security.
“If you need peace and serenity and just want some quiet
time, you can come at three in the morning if you want to,”
Greene said.