Memorial Day weekend was an opportunity for the residents of Blythewood to come together and honor our fallen service members. Blythewood was blessed to be able to host the traveling Vietnam memorial wall.
We had over 100 residents of Blythewood volunteer to assist our visitors at the Wall that Heals. These volunteers braved the heat and rain and did an outstanding job of assisting visitors with locating names of loved ones whose name are inscribed on the wall and answering questions. The Wall that Heals had over 2,000 visitors on Memorial Day alone. We estimate that somewhere between 6,000-7,000 visitors traveled from all over S.C. and many came from out of state over the five days that the wall was on display.
Our town should be proud of the respect shown to our fallen services members; the town staff did an amazing job of setting the stage to host the wall that heals. As a representative of town government I offer my sincere gratitude to all the volunteers and town staff for their dedicated and selfless service to honor the fallen and sometimes forgotten men and women inscribed on the wall that heals. Our wish was to honor the fallen and the living survivors of the Vietnam War and their family members. We witnessed the raw emotions that swelled over our visitors and family members, we witnessed the wall begin the process of its healing power.
Veterans and their family members were able to share with each other and our volunteers sometimes opening up for the first time on their experiences of their service to our country. To many of our visitors this was the biggest event to come to Blythewood in 40 years, our town was on display for all to see and each comment of gratitude shown to our town staff for hosting the wall that heals on this weekend of all weekends should make all of Blythewood proud.
The Mayor and Council were honored to host the memorial wall, but this could never have been accomplished without our awesome staff at town hall and the awesome volunteers who gave up their time with family over the holiday weekend to honor those who gave their last full measure of devotion to our country. My sincere thanks to each of you, you all made Blythewood proud.
Eddie Baughman
Blythewood Town Council