Largest Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Is Currently in Lakewood's Mayfair Park Thru Sunday Afternoon Aug. 17

The Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Wall's appearance and has a special website page devoted to the event which can be viewed here.

A name locator, a computer disc with database as well as two hard copy wall books for looking up names on the wall,.is at the site. Rubbing paper and pencils are available and docents are at the location.

Over 58,000 names of those killed during the Vietnam War are inscribed on The Wall. Roughly 1,200 of the names are listed as missing (MIA's, POW's, and others.)

The City of Lakewood's website says the Greater Lakewood Chamber welcomes contributions (below) and says L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, a U.S. Navy Veteran, made his own donation of $1,000 and has pledged to match donations made by the public, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $5,000.

"We're so appreciative of this giving community. People have been very generous giving at the Civic Center Block Party and each week at Concerts in the Park. Those donations, be they $1, $10 or $100, are adding up," said Lakewood Chamber President John Kelsall.

Donations can be made to the Greater Lakewood Chamber online by clicking this link.

Also visible at the site is a display honoring "The Boys of DeValle Park," young men from Lakewood who died in the Vietnam War (immortalized in a poem by Dennis Lander now read annually on Memorial Day in Del Valle Park.)

A flag pole at the foot of The Wall flies an American flag at half staff, flown over the U.S. Capitol at half-staff on August 8, 2011 to honor Navy SEAL, Lt. Commander Jonas Kelsall, who perished in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.

The Wall arrived on Aug. 14, and the City of Lakewood website says visitors are welcome from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday (Aug. 15 and 16) and on Sunday (Aug. 17) from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. "Docents will be on hand and golf carts will be available for the disabled. There will be 500 special limited-edition memorial booklets on sale for $10.00," the city's website says.

The Wall's visit is part of Lakewood's annual Summer Stampede Car Show (Sunday Aug. 17) whose theme is "A Salute to the Military & Veterans - Show Your Colors," a fundraising event for the Chamber.

[City of Lakewood website text] Longtime Lakewood resident Jerry "Doc" Spulecki has been giving volunteer help to the chamber and its effort to bring the traveling Vietnam Wall to Lakewood. Spulecki served as a medic in Vietnam from May 1967 to May 1968. "As a combat vet of the Vietnam War, I am proud and humbled that our Chamber of Commerce is bringing the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to Lakewood. It honors the 58,286 men and women who paid the ultimate price for our country." Spulecki has volunteered as a docent on traveling wall showings numerous times across the nation.
It costs money and takes a small army of volunteers to staff the traveling Vietnam Veterans Wall while it's on location. Local veterans and others have stepped up to provide the volunteers, but funds are still needed to pay the transportation and related costs of the Wall and to financially support the chamber's Summer Stampede Car Show in general, where the Wall will be featured.
The chamber's annual car show takes place on that Sunday [Aug. 17]. The car show is an annual fundraising event for the chamber and its activities to help with business growth in Lakewood. The car show has incorporated a military support and appreciation theme for the past several years. Kelsall's son, Jonas, was a Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander killed in Afghanistan in 2011.