Walk to Wall Teaches Students to Honor Vets

WILDWOOD — The eleventh day of the eleventh month took on new significance for students at Glenwood Avenue Elementary School when the entire third grade paid their respects to fallen veterans at the Wildwoods Vietnam Memorial Wall.
Located in Fox Park, the city’s wall, a half-sized replica of Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 men and women who paid the ultimate price in service to their country while serving in Vietnam.
Prior to their walk from school to the wall, students were given a history lesson about the replica wall and how it became located in Wildwood. Vietnam veteran William Davenport shared the story of the wall along with its purpose. Like the national wall, the Wildwoods’ memorial was built entirely through private contributions.
“These children are very fortunate to have a memorial of this magnitude, to be able to understand what Veteran’s Day really means,” noted Mayor Ernie Troiano.
Members of the third grade teaching team said Davenport told their students the city’s wall was constructed as “a place for visitors to come and remember those who were killed in Vietnam and the need to honor them.”
In follow-up to Davenport’s lesson, students were invited to visit the wall on Veterans’ Day. After a short walk from Glenwood Avenue Elementary school, students saw the row upon row of military members’ names who were killed in Vietnam etched in the dark granite. A group of local veterans, along with John Lynch, Executive Director of the Lunch with Lynch program, met the children at the wall to answer their questions.
Third grade teacher Bev Cardaci said upon seeing the Wildwoods’ wall, students took notice of the yellow post-it notes with messages attached near the engraved names. “Mr. Lynch told the third graders that he often sees many note and flowers placed on the wall.”