Event Organizers and Supporters Work for Two
Years to Bring Wall to Capitol City
Daily Plan-it organizes
week-long visit that includes multiple ceremonies, 300 volunteers
and over 80 sponsorships.
When the Jefferson
City Veterans Council approached the idea of securing a Capitol City
visit of the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall more than two years ago,
they realized it would take a monumental effort to accomplish the
project. The first step involved a lengthy application process
followed by date negotiations with the Wall’s provider,
Vietnam Combat
Veterans, Ltd.
Hal Dulle, Deputy
Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission and a Vietnam Veteran
who served in the Marine Corps, played an instrumental role in
facilitating the arrangements. “Having visited the Wall in
Washington several times, I felt compelled to help bring the
traveling version to Jefferson City for those who aren’t able to
make that trip,” Dulle said. Being a part of this historic event
follows the Veterans Commission’s mission “To honor and serve the
veterans whose dedication and sacrifices have preserved our nation
and its freedoms.” Dulle elaborated, “There are over 179,000
Vietnam veterans and their families who reside in the State of
Missouri.
We believe in the healing powers associated with seeing the Wall in
person.”
Working together,
the Commission and the Council finally secured the seven day visit
for the week of Thanksgiving. “We hoped these dates would allow a
lot of families and groups of friends who would be getting together
for the holiday, to plan a time where they can make a visit to come
see the Wall,” Al Davis (USNC Ret), President of the Jefferson City
Veterans Council explained.
With dates set, the
real work for organizers began in earnest approximately nine months
ago. The Jefferson City Veterans Council, a not for profit
consortium of twelve local Veterans groups and their auxiliaries,
took the lead in putting a project plan in motion. This involved
everything from logistics to financing, volunteer recruitment to
ceremonial programming.
The Council is
largely responsible for most military celebrations staged in central
Missouri including the annual Veterans and Memorial Day ceremonies.
The Wall project, however, was unprecedented in scope and scale to
any other Council-sponsored programs. “We realized in the early
planning stages we needed the assistance of someone who was
experienced in large-scale events,” President Davis said. “So on the
recommendation of Pat Kerr, Missouri State Veterans Ombudsman, we
brought in Jill Snodgrass, a professional event planner, to help
give us guidance and direction.” Snodgrass’s firm, Daily Plan-it,
is the coordinator for the Salute to America 4th of July
celebration and has been involved in many city-wide celebrations,
inaugurations and other events held at the Capitol Complex.
“I was honored to
be selected to work with this great group of people,” Snodgrass
said. “With an established, dedicated volunteer base, the hard part
was already done.” Snodgrass began organizing committees, outlining
tasks and responsibilities and soliciting the funding to underwrite
the necessary products and services. “The Council members provided
the brains and muscles to make this happen and each group made a
significant monetary contribution, as well,” Snodgrass explained.
“And then we went to the community to raise the rest of the funds.”
According to Sam
Bushman, Treasurer of the Moving Wall Project, Mike Kehoe Ford and
Fechtel Beverage each donated the largest part of the budget. “Mike
and Bernie were behind this from the start which allowed the Council
to move forward to secure the Wall,” Bushman said. “The remaining
funds came from 40 different organizations and individuals whose
donations ranged from a few dollars to a thousand dollars. It was a
tremendous outpouring of support.”
Financing the
project wasn’t the only hurdle to overcome. Recruiting enough
volunteers, particularly over a holiday, was a major challenge. The
Wall is also open 24 hours a day which requires round the clock
staffing. To accomplish this, volunteer and hospitality committee
leaders Don Hentges, Marlo Vansickle and Scott Thomas, members of
St. Martin VFW Post 35, called in all their markers. “The efforts
involved to plan and staff the Wall is monumental,” Post Commander
Vansickle said. “We’re working to fill around 250 volunteer shifts
throughout the week.” Job responsibilities include supervisors,
security, computer personnel, greeters, ceremony escorts, Wall
attendants, hospitality organizers and press liaisons. “We can
always use additional volunteers,” Hentges related. “There will be a
Volunteer trailer on-site so interested parties can still sign up.”
In addition,
extensive logistic arrangements were required to plan for seven days
of services and involved everything from port-a-potty donations from
JobSite Sanitation to tents from House of Bargains. Logistics Chair
Kate Numerick and her committee worked closely with the State
Division of Facilities Management to ensure a smooth process. “The
State has been terrific to support this project, particularly in
allowing us to have the Wall set up on the south lawn for this
length of time,” Numerick said. “Also instrumental in the
installation processes, which are quite complicated, is Dale
Verslues and the Carpenters Apprentice Program from the Local 935.
We couldn’t do it without the cooperation and hard work of all these
folks,” Numerick stated.
Indeed the efforts
of around fifty core volunteers, many of them Vietnam Veterans, who
serve on the various committees are key to making the project a
success. Melissa Wilding, a well known local advocate and
co-organizer of Military support groups serves as the Moving Wall
public relations committee chair. “It’s imperative that we get the
word out there that the Moving Wall will be here in Jefferson City
November 22-28,” she stated. “A great turn out is all these
volunteers and supporters need to know that their time, talents and
resources was worth the effort.” Added President Davis, “And even
more importantly, it will show the Vietnam Veterans and their
families that they haven’t been forgotten.”
