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By: Jim Kinney and Danielle Sanzone, Special to The Record06/08/2006



The Moving Wall, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, will be on display at Shenantaha Creek Park on Eastline Road in Malta starting at 3:45 p.m. A more formal opening ceremony is set for 6 p.m.
John Rucinski Jr. of Wilton organized what's become another tradition for The Wall: a motorcycle escort into the display site.
"That many motorcycles in this weather, it's pretty good," he said as a slight drizzle strengthened Wednesday afternoon into a driving downpour. "I asked for one sheriff's car and I got five. They blocked off every intersection for us. I must be doing something right."
This will be the first time in the wall's 22-year history that it will be exhibited in a municipality in Saratoga County.
Of the 58,248 names engraved on the portable wall, 31 of those people were from Saratoga County, said Kate Jeanson, a spokesperson for the county's board of supervisors, which is sponsoring the wall's visit to the area. "Over 350 people have volunteered to help with the wall," she continued. "I think so many people want to be a part of this because many people probably have a connection with the Vietnam War so they feel a connection with this wall."
One local woman, who served as a nurse in Vietnam during the beginning of the war, will give her experience and reflections on the war. "I want to talk about the wall from a woman's perspective," said Helen Vartigian of Cohoes who served in Cuchi, Vietnam, from 1966 to 1967. "I will hopefully be of some assistance to people attending the ceremony. It can be hard for anyone to see the wall. Looking back, I definitely have mixed emotions about the war. At the time, I was definitely for the war. I didn't realize how much politics played a role in the Vietnam War until much later. I am really looking forward to speaking at the ceremony to help honor those that died."
Valerie Dziarcak of Waterford is one of the Gold Star mothers in the area. Her son, William W. Dziarcak, was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Dziarcak was given an American flag by the town of Waterford in 2005 to honor her son who had been honored by the county in 2004.
Some other names listed on the wall include: John C. Bechard from Stillwater; Louis V. Daigle of Waterford; Frank J. Hutchins of Mechanicville; Thomas F. Jourdanais Jr. of Waterford; Harold M. Patenaude of Mechanicville, and Floyd W. Pohl of Stillwater.



?The Record 2006

...Times union article,...


...who served
Moving Wall's tour of duty at Malta park has local vets reflecting on Vietnam, worrying for Iraq troops

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Thursday, June 8, 2006

MALTA -- Today's arrival of the Moving Wall -- the half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. -- will be even more poignant and emotionally charged because of the ongoing war in Iraq, veterans say.
The 257-foot replica -- which is etched like the D.C. memorial with the names of more than 58,000 Americans killed in Southeast Asia -- arrives in Shenantaha Creek Park for five days as events in Iraq continue to draw comparisons to Vietnam.


"The timing is probably good just to recognize that we are at war, a war on terror. It reminds us that we're trying to defend our freedoms, that we do have troops overseas," said Hadley Supervisor Jeffrey Trottier, whose son, Justin, 23, returned from a second tour in Iraq in February.

The moving wall has toured the country for 22 years and last came to the region three years ago, shortly after the invasion of Iraq. Included on the replica are the names of the approximately 150 service members from the Capital Region who died in Vietnam, including 76 from Albany County and 22 from Saratoga County.

Joe Pollicino, who served 13 months in Vietnam, recognizes the names of friends from Albany High School on the wall.

It's a tough time for vets, Pollicino said.

"Emotions are high. A lot of Vietnam vets have sons and daughters in the military now," said Pollicino, a Marine Corps veteran who is president of Tri-County Council Vietnam Veterans. "To go to the wall and remember what happened to them, it has to be very emotional, especially if they have someone over at war now."

The emotions can be cathartic, and many local veterans who served in Vietnam intend to make the trip to the Malta park.

Helen Vartigian nursed dozens of soldiers back to health with the Army Nurse Corps at a 300-bed evacuation hospital in Cu Chi, Vietnam, from 1966-67.

She blocked the war from her mind for years. In 1991, she sought treatment for the guilt born of wishing she could have saved more lives. Her trip to the Vietnam Women's Memorial dedication in Washington in 1993 changed her life.

In 2003, Vartigian visited the Moving Wall in her hometown of Cohoes, where she met soldiers who arrived in the middle of the night, seeking solace and someone to talk to. The 64-year-old retired state worker will speak today at the wall's opening ceremony.

She said it hurts to see a new generation of young men and women sacrificing their lives while serving their country. Friends have cautioned her not to concentrate on Iraq or watch the news to avoid flashbacks.

"My friends told me to be careful of the HBO documentary 'Baghdad ER,' " she said.

The arrival of the Moving Wall also will be part of Saratoga County's efforts to recognize those who served in Vietnam. Last May, the Board of Supervisors hosted its first official ceremony honoring the county's Vietnam vets, 30 years after the United States abandoned its embassy in Saigon.

The board wanted the Moving Wall for the 30th anniversary, but a waiting list for the memorial pushed back its arrival until now, said Trottier, the Hadley supervisor.

It cost $4,000 to bring the Moving Wall to the 50-acre park, which is in the center of the county. Site preparation, pavilions, tents and chairs raised the price to $30,000, which will be covered by the county.

based at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia. His father-in-law, John Reynolds, earned a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in Vietnam.
The enemy shelled a bridge ramp Reynolds was helping the Navy build in 1968, sending shrapnel into his backside. Doctors sewed him up and he returned to duty.

"It wasn't bad. You got used to it. There were no lines in Vietnam. Wherever you were at, you were subject to being hit," said Reynolds, now 72. He visited the wall in Washington, D.C., and plans to bring his family to the Moving Wall.

"It's something to see," he said.

For Pollicino, he'll be thinking of those who served in the war, and those overseas now. While similarities exist between the two wars -- no obvious front line, guerrilla warfare, declining domestic support, Pollicino also sees differences -- one took place in jungles, the other in desert cities.

And, the modest Pollicino pointed out, he noted another difference. "I think it's a lot tougher over there than we had it in Vietnam," he said.

Yusko can be reached at 581-8438 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.

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[DMZ-LT]

Frank and White Oak volunterred to help at the moving Wall when it came to Tallassee , Al. a few years ago." Riding in Memory of Frank " Torch " Skokan "

[Robert Ryan]

Visited the Moving Wall when it was here in Sacramento, CA about 3 years ago. I got to say goodbye to my buddy PFC Gary Peterson, and I finally let him go to rest in peace. The wall is very powerful and emotional. It's just like that picture called "Reflections of the Wall".

[splummer]

If all goes according to plan, I should see the wall in DC this comming Wed with some freinds from my unit.

[frisco-kid]

If you have the time, could you print out the names of the troopers on my "FALLEN EAGLES" thread and try to "visit" them? I know it will be appreciated by them and all who knew them. Only if you have the time.

Thanks

[splummer]

I'll print it out tonight after work and take it along. I hope to see you in CA this year but don't have a trip planned yet.