As I write this column, September has arrived. Where did the summer go? It seems like it just started. Now yellow leaves have begun to appear on one of the trees next to the house. This has been a very hot and humid week. I didn’t complain because I know I’ll be wishing for days like this when it’s way below zero and we’re blanketed with two-foot snowdrifts around our house.
This morning I’m sitting on our back deck and a gentle breeze washes over me as I write. A Hummingbird just joined me, checking out the red geraniums on the deck. In the distance a rooster is crowing, announcing the arrival of September. I’ll miss sitting here and writing during the long winter ahead. I’m hoping for a long, colorful fall season before winter makes an appearance.
When September arrives, the Vernon County Fair isn’t far behind. It’s the last fair in Wisconsin each year. By the time you read this we’ll be in the midst of the fair. It will be a very busy week. I’ll be in our Vernon Telephone Cooperative booth in the co-op building. Those will be 14+ hour days. If you’re at the fair, stop by and say hello. We can pretend we’re visiting across the fence.
If you stop by on Saturday I won’t be there. I’ve been asked to be a speaker at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Tribute at The Highground near Neillsville, Wisconsin. The Highground is a 150-acre veterans memorial park on Highway 10 about three miles west of Neillsville.
It doesn’t seem like it’s been 25 years since we had the dedication ceremony of “Fragments,” the sculpture depicting four life-size Vietnam figures. It honors all Wisconsin Vietnam veterans and lists all those who were killed and missing in action. Thousands of people crowded onto The Highground for that dedication ceremony on September 18, 1988. I was a speaker that day as we unveiled the sculpture.
Now I’ve been invited to return and speak at the 25th anniversary celebration. I couldn’t say no to that invitation, even though I should be manning our booth at the fair. I was one of the founding members of The Highground and I’ll talk about some of the early planning and struggles we had as we took on a task that was far bigger than any of us could have imagined. Many of us who were involved in the early development of the park will be returning for the 25th anniversary. We went through a lot together as we struggled to make a dream become a reality.
When we began it was called The Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Memorial Project, Inc. The site near Neillsville was chosen from ten sites by the board. Three sites were picked to make presentations to the board. As soon as I saw the Neillsville site I knew it was the place we wanted. If you’ve visited The Highground, you know what I mean.
Early on we decided to call it The Highground, and also decided that we needed to include ALL veterans, not just Vietnam veterans. We didn’t want anyone to feel they weren’t welcome. It became a veteran’s memorial park and now includes World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam tributes. Also memorials to Gold Star families, women veterans, an earthen mound peace dove, the National Native American Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a Persian Gulf Tribute is in the works. There’s a timber frame information/gift shop and a new learning center with a library and changing exhibits, dealing with the physical and emotional costs of war. We’ve also developed hiking trails throughout the 150-acre park.
The project was not for the feint of heart or those not willing to work. Thanks to a working board of directors and countless volunteers, the idea became a reality. Many times I headed to board meetings at Neillsville with the intention of resigning. In those early days very few people would give us the time of day, and people expected us to fail. Each time I was ready to throw in the towel something would happen that gave me hope and reminded me why this project was important. Much of that encouragement came from families who had lost a son in Vietnam. One father told me it was the first time he felt like someone cared that his son had died. Comments like that kept us going.
After four long years of struggles and a lot of work, the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Tribute was finally dedicated 25 years ago. It was a great day for everyone involved. On Saturday, September 14 at 2:00 pm, many of us who were there when it was only a dream will gather together again. I won’t be surprised if the spirits of our friends, whose voices have been silenced, speak to us again as the wind makes the bamboo chimes of Fragments come alive with sound.
The Highground has become a place for everyone, veterans and non-veterans, a place where their emotional wounds can begin the healing process. Many call it a spiritual place. I know it has saved lives. That’s made all the work and struggles worth it. I invite everyone to come and be a part of this 25th anniversary.
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