Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall in Whiteville

It was an emotional day for families of fallen soldiers Thursday. The community gathered at the Whiteville National Guard Armory to see the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall.

More than 58,000 names are listed on the black wall. Twenty of them belonged to soldiers from Columbus County. Families stood as their loved ones names were called.

Weerene Stevens Turner, wife of a fallen soldier, said, “It was so far away it didn’t seem real because I was still getting letters from him everyday and now it’s really sunk in after all these years. I’m just happy there’s this much memory for these people.”

The Moving Wall will be on display at the armory 24 hours a day through Monday, then the wall will head to Charleston.