Kelsey Kennedy, a Cheboygan County Sheriff deputy, escorts a group of motorcyclists taking part in the Forgotten Eagles' Ride Around Michigan through the toll plaza and south on the Mackinac Bridge. Several cyclists from the local area took part in the ride over the weekend of August 5 through August 7. About $10,000 was raised through pledges and donations to benefit the Michigan Veterans Fund. The local chapter of Forgotten Eagles is among veterans groups bringing the Vietnam Wall to St. Ignace this weekend. (Photograph by Beth Krasniuk) The Vietnam "Moving Wall" Memorial will be on display at Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace Thursday, August 20, through Monday, August 24. A ceremony will be conducted at 3 p.m. Thursday when the wall is revealed to the public. Chief Warrant Officer Eric Zinnkosko of the St. Ignace Coast Guard will give an opening speech. Other speakers will be Mike Lehto of St. Ignace, Mayor Paul Grondin of St. Ignace, and Richard Mayo of Cheboygan. There is no charge to visit the memorial, which will also be on display throughout the night.

The replica of the national monument in Washington, D.C., travels throughout the country to give all citizens an opportunity to view it. The memorial lists the names of those killed in the Vietnam War.

Volunteers throughout the Upper Peninsula, including Vietnam veterans, have supported the effort to bring the wall to St. Ignace. National Guard soldiers in Sault Ste. Marie, the St. Ignace Coast Guard, and veterans groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Forgotten Eagles have donated their time to help set up the monument. David Spencer, commander of Chapter 52 of the Disabled American Veterans, will be present for the opening ceremony. Also participating are Sault Ste. Marie VFW Post 3676, American Legion Post 62 of St. Ignace, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 274, and Amvets of Goetzville.

The National Guard of Sault Ste. Marie and the St. Ignace Coast Guard will guard the memorial throughout the day and night, Shannon Bonnell of Kewadin Casino said. Other volunteers will be present to aid visitors in locating names on the wall and provide emotional support, as needed.

Richard Mayo of Cheboygan, a member of Chapter 274, Vietnam Veterans of America, who helped bring the memorial to Cheboygan in 2006, said arranging for the visit begins nearly a year in advance and involves scheduling fundraisers, voluteers, and opening ceremonies.

Community support for the wall has been strong, he said, with people volunteering to help set up the wall, build a platform for it, and provide counseling to anyone who needs it while viewing the memorial.

"It takes a lot out of you emotionally to set it up," he said.

Local businesses also pitched in, he said, providing food and cots for guards covering the night shift.

The memorial was well received by the public in Cheboygan, Mr. Mayo said, and he has recently received requests to schedule a time for the wall to return to Cheboygan.

Mr. Mayo and other members of Chapter 274 will aid the showing in St. Ignace.