At eight feet tall and 240 feet long, the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall is big, but not overwhelmingly so -- it's possible to traverse the whole length of it in a minute or two.

But the 58,175 names inscribed in white type, each one a Vietnam War soldier who died in combat, tend to make visitors stop. This replica wall might be only three-quarters the size of the original Washington, D.C., memorial, but the emotional weight of it all, the chills that can come from running your fingers over the bumps of the letters, are the same.

``Believe it or not, I don't want to see somebody I know . . . I don't think I could handle it,'' said Jim Loudy, a Vietnam veteran who visited the wall during its stop in North Lauderdale on Friday.

A crowd of about 75 people -- among them public officials, sheriff's deputies, and those who lost a friend or loved one in Vietnam -- were on hand Friday morning for the wall's opening ceremony. Amid the pomp and circumstance of a wreath presentation, dozens of flags flying and bagpipes playing, North Lauderdale Mayor Jack Brady addressed the attendees.

Brady, himself a Vietnam vet, spoke briefly. He hadn't prepared any flowery words. ``I lost a lot of good friends,'' he said, his eyes glassy.

A desire to pay homage to one particular friend brought Fernando Ramirez to the wall Friday morning.

Ramirez met Rodrigo Velazquez Jr. in high school in Penvelas, Puerto Rico. They reconnected in the Army, and passed the hours talking about family and girls from back home as they wandered the dangerous roads and villages of South Vietnam.

Ramirez fought in the same battle that took the life of Velazquez, though he didn't witness his friend's death.

``He got hit by the mortars and the AK-47,'' Ramirez, 67, said. ``When we got back, he was in a body bag.''

Ramirez, who lives in Tamarac, has also been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. The replica experience isn't much different, Ramirez said.

``It still hurts,'' he said.

Aside from the continued grief, another lingering pain for some who visit the wall is the treatment Vietnam vets received immediately upon their return. With public protests over the war rampant -- and instances of soldier misconduct receiving widespread publicity -- no hero's welcome awaited soldiers back then.

``We were spit on when we came home,'' Loudy said.

Debra Boudreau, 55, who visited the wall Friday to honor a cousin who died in the war, said Vietnam vets became ``forgotten, lost, despised.''

Boudreau, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, took solace in the changes to the public's attitude since then, and the respect shown toward Iraq War veterans even as the war has become increasingly unpopular. But listening to news updates about the current conflict isn't always easy, Boudreau said.

``I feel it every time I hear the death stats,'' she said. ``I wish people would wake up and just learn to live together.''

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@