The Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall will be in Desert Hot Springs for five days starting Thursday, giving folks in the area a chance to pay tribute to more than 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during the war.
The wall, a replica of the memorial in Washington, D.C., has been a traveling display since 1984 and made its initial Desert Hot Springs stop back in 2011.
The memorial will reopen for another run beginning Thursday at 5 p.m., with an opening ceremony set for 6 p.m. Speakers will include retired Marine Sgt. Frank Orzio, a Purple Heart recipient who was wounded in Vietnam in 1968 and active in the Wounded Warriors Ministry, and local Vietnam vet George Fisher.
Representatives from the offices of Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, Sen. Jeff Stone, R-La Quinta, and Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, are also slated to attend.
A closing ceremony planned for 11 a.m. Monday will feature a flyover and display of several military vehicles loaned by Palm Springs Air Museum Vice Chair Fred Bell.
City officials said pets will not be allowed in the park while the wall display is on site, with the exception of service animals.
–City News Service