BRIDGEPORT – Bridgeport Middle School Principal Anne Haverty Lawson has teamed up with Roberta Raymond, co-chairwoman of the Belmont County The Wall that Heals Committee to make the most of educational opportunities when the ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial comes to Belmont County Fairgrounds Oct. 1-4.
Raymond noted this will be a first for the area.
“It has never been to Belmont County before.”
Admission will be free and the exhibit open 24 hours a day. There will be three ceremonies: an opening ceremony noon Oct. 1, a Light the Night ceremony 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 to honor veterans who returned with ailments caused by Agent Orange, and a closing ceremony 1:45 p.m. Oct. 4.
“Every night at sunset we’ll be playing Taps.”
Raymond said the area is very fortunate. There were 150 applications this year from communities across the United States wishing to host the Wall. Only 31 were chosen.
A community meeting was held noon Feb. 5 at the St. Clairsville American Legion to announce the visit and make initial preparations.
On the education front, Raymond is working closely with Haverty Lawson, who is planning outreach to Belmont County educators. Haverty Lawson said this visit has educational potential for all the school districts.
Raymond agreed, adding The Wall That Heals takes special care to invite students to learn more about this impactful and too-often overlooked part of American history.
“The students will be able to have tours of the Wall and there’ll be someone there to explain everything to them and talk a little about the Vietnam War.”
Haverty Lawson stressed the importance of early planning and organization, since only so many students can visit in a school day period.
“We want to give them the opportunity to do this.”
The Wall display is expected to be a busy destination. Haverty Lawson pointed out Belmont County’s location on the major route of I-70 and proximity of the West Virginia and Pennsylvania state lines.
“It can be very broad.”
Honoring veterans is important for Haverty Lawson, who takes the lead in organizing Veterans Day events. She has close family ties with veterans including her husband, Larry Lawson.
“I’m passionate because my husband served 21 years in the Navy. I’m very thankful to live in the United States of America,” she said. “I try to be very understanding of the sacrifice that has been made by my father, my uncle, my husband and those that served in Vietnam. All service to our country.”
She has been in contact with Raymond as she worked with other community leaders to bring the Wall to Belmont County. Haverty Lawson’s next mission is spreading word to the county’s other school districts.
“I’m confident in rolling it out to my middle school, but it’ll be pretty broad. The next part of this is we’re meeting with superintendents. We’re going to attend a superintendent meeting so that we can roll it out.”
Haverty Lawson recalls learning more about the impact of the Vietnam conflict when she met a veteran while attending college. She noted not many have wanted to talk about the conflict or their experiences, due in part to controversy surrounding the war. Often this silence has only continued as time passed.
She said this makes it all the more important that people turn out for a proper Belmont County welcome when the 53-foot trailer that carries the Wall panels arrives.
“They were not welcomed back. I think about that wall coming down Route 40, and it needs to be welcomed.”
Haverty Lawson added work on the Blaine Hill Bridge is expected to be complete by then, allowing the trailer and its escort to pass near the Bridgeport Exempted School District campus. She said the band, along with the middle school and high school staff and students will hopefully be able to turn out and greet them.
Raymond added the Wall has some significance for her as well, since her husband was a Vietnam veteran who served in the Air Force and has passed away due to complication from Agent Orange. She recalled visiting the Wall often when they lived and worked in Washington D.C.
“It’s a very interesting monument compared to the other monuments that are in Washington D.C.”
Raymond said the Wall is also a source of information for teachers to work on lessons touching on the Vietnam conflict.
Haverty Lawson agreed. She said Bridgeport teachers will prepare age-appropriate assignments for the high schoolers and middle schoolers.
“We’ve got to front-load it so kids know what they’re going to learn more about,” Haverty Lawson said.
Raymond said there is some additional local significance, since the Wall includes names of 26 Belmont County service members. The committee would like to hear from any relations.
The committee is also looking for community volunteers. A Facebook page has been set up for news and announcements.
