Wall of memory.

Byline: Jack Moran The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - Tom Laing knows firsthand the effect a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., can have on a person who served in the U.S. military during that conflict.

Laing, a Vietnam vet from Veneta and past state commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, has made four trips to the memorial wall since 1988 to glimpse the names of soldiers - some of them old friends - who never returned home.

"Every time I go, it's very overwhelming," said Laing, 57. "It just consumes you. It's like a funeral, where you go to say your goodbyes. We didn't get to do that for a lot of our friends."

The war was a long bloodbath, killing 58,000 Americans, wounding 350,000 and killing between 1 million and 2 million Vietnamese.

Laing says thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families will never be able to visit the memorial and pay their respects to their fallen comrades or loved ones. That's why he joined other local veterans groups to bring a wall replica to Lane County.

The opening ceremony for the exhibit, officially known as the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience, won't happen until 3 p.m. today, but Laing and several other veterans spent Wednesday at Island Park overseeing installation of the 240-foot-long wall, which includes the names of all those American men and women who died or went missing in Vietnam. The task of carrying the heavy, black, faux-granite panels fell to a group of about 20 Marines who returned to Eugene about three weeks ago following a tour in Iraq.

"We wanted to help because we know some vets will come here, revisit memories and find closure," said Eric Ramos, 33, a sergeant with Alpha Company's 6th Engineer Support Battalion. "It's our gift to them. If it wasn't for their sacrifices, we would not have the opportunity to be in uniform. This is a thank you."

Nick Urhausen, commander of VFW Post 293, appreciated the Marines' involvement.

"It'd be going a lot slower if they weren't here," said Urhausen, 59, who spent 10 months in Vietnam while serving with the Army.

Urhausen said that while many local veterans are sure to have an emotional experience when they visit the wall replica this week, some others will avoid the scene.

`I know some (Vietnam veterans) won't come down at all," he said. "And some will come here during the middle of the night, so nobody else sees them.'

Laing expects those who decide to show up will be glad they did.

`It has the same effect (as the original memorial wall),' he said. "It's very emotional, but it does help with the healing."

The exhibit is about three-quarters the size of the memorial in Washington, D.C., which draws about 4 million visitors a year. Since the traveling replica's creation in 1990, it has been displayed in more than 200 U.S. cities. Its next stop will be in Ontario, Calif., from Nov. 4-6.

The wall will remain on display in Island Park through Sunday. There is no charge to visit the exhibit, but donations to cover expenses can be made at Citizen Bank of Springfield.

VIETNAM WALL REPLICA

What: The public is invited to attend a free exhibit of a 240-foot-long replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

When: Opening ceremony at 3 p.m. today. Replica will remain at the park through Sunday.

Where: Island Park, 200 West B St., Springfield.

CAPTION(S):

Tom Laing casts a shadow on some of the thousands of names that appear on the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that is on exhibit in Island Park through Sunday. Laing, a Vietnam veteran from Veneta, was instrumental in bringing the display to Springfield. Kevin Clark / The Register-Guard Marines of Alpha Company, 6th Engineers Support Battalion move sections of the Vietnam Memorial replica into place.