The West Virginia State Council Mobile Wall

BY MARY BRUZZESE

It was two years ago, at about two in the morning, when West Virginia State Council President Dave Simmons, along with Secretary Ivan Freeland and former Second Vice President Cecilio Bezares III, came up with the idea to have their own traveling wall. The state council was holding its Fourth of July weekend Safety Break, when members set up for forty-eight hours at a rest stop on the West Virginia Turnpike, offering free snacks, coffee, and other refreshments to weary drivers. “We were talking about the Tennessee State Council’s traveling wall,” Simmons recalled. “I said, ‘We ought to do this one day.’ ”

The West Virginia State Council Mobile Wall is now a reality, and began making its rounds in June. Twenty-six feet long and six feet high at the apex, the Mobile Wall, which is composed of black composite material, lists the names of the 732 West Virginians who died in the Vietnam War—West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita of all fifty states—and serves as a memorial to all those from the state who served during the war.

The core group who worked on the Mobile Wall consisted of Simmons, his wife Elaine, Bezares, Freeland, First Vice President Mitchell Carte, current Second Vice President Rod Farley, John Jones, and AVVA WVSC President Connie Jones. After Bezares came up with a basic design for the Mobile Wall, the group went to some fifteen companies before settling on J.D. Signs in Fairmont to build it. The group presented the original design to the company, then together they developed the final design.

Constructing the Mobile Wall cost $14,440. The WVSC raised much of the money through raffles and events. For example, “elimination dinners” were held in which people play cards and the last person standing wins a prize. The University of West Virginia football and basketball teams donated balls signed by the coaches and team players as prizes. The WVSC had a lot of help raising money, too. Each of West Virginia’s fourteen VVA chapters donated to the cause, either by purchasing tickets for state council raffles or holding their own. There were some two thousand donors, including a few West Virginia county commissioners and United Mine Workers of America District 31.

The WVSC needed a vehicle to transport their Mobile Wall. Through a WVSC member, they were able to buy a trailer, but it needed some work. The state council held a maintenance day for the trailer, and several VVA members and associate members pitched in. “A lot of members have specific skills—welders, mechanics, electricians—and they stepped up to work on the trailer,” Simmons said. John Paul Jones, the son of John and Connie Jones, painted logos and other graphics on the sides of the trailer. Lowes in Fayetteville donated two tires for the trailer, as did the Tractor and Supply Co. in Oak Hill. “It was a real community effort to keep this wall moving,” Simmons said.

The Mobile Wall had a trial run in White Sulphur Springs, hosted by the state council and Eastern Highlands Chapter 1072 in early June. Later in the month the WVSC hosted an official dedication for the northern half of West Virginia in Fairmont. The Beckley VA Medical Center will host the Mobile Wall for its dedication for the southern half of the state in late September.

Any group or organization that requests to host the Mobile Wall must sign a contract. Hosts pay a $250 deposit and agree to display the Mobile Wall at a respectful location.

WVSC members transport the Mobile Wall to all host sites and help set it up. Composed of fourteen panels, it is easily dismantled for transport. At least one member usually sticks around the host site to help out.

Unlike the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the names on the Mobile Wall are listed alphabetically. “We decided on alphabetical so it’s easier for families to find the names,” Simmons said. A cross-reference book lists additional information for each name, such as casualty date, unit, and hometown. The WVSC is planning for the Mobile Wall’s transport trailer to be a wireless hotspot, so that they can set up a computer to help visitors retrieve information from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington via the Virtual Wall.

The West Virginia State Council Mobile Wall has been a major success. There have been several showings so far, and requests keep coming in—there are bookings as far in advance as 2017. “I’m so proud of my guys stepping up so fast to make this happen,” Simmons said. “It’s a dream come true.”

For more information about the West Virginia State Council Mobile Wall, contact Dave Simmons at 304-248-8488; incountryvet@comcast.net or visit www.westvirginiastatecouncilmobilewall.org.