Memorabilia from Vietnam Moving Wall Showcased At Cultural Center of Orland Park.

ORLAND PARK, ILLINOIS – The Village of Orland Park Veterans Commission is showcasing memorabilia that has never been gathered for a public display.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of The Vietnam Moving Wall. To commemorate the wall’s anniversary, its creator, John Devitt, has granted Orland Park veterans permission to display items left at The Wall by people across the country.

“When you see The Moving Wall on television or visit it in a community, you probably wonder where all of the items go that are left there,” said Orland Park Veterans Commission Secretary Gail Blummer. “We wondered too and learned that everything left over the last 25 years is stored in a warehouse in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,” she explained.

“The Veterans Commission wanted to continue the spirit of this truly memorable event by presenting this one-of-a-kind exhibit that honors not only those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, but the families and friends who have also lost so much,” Blummer added.

Blummer volunteered to travel to Michigan on behalf of the Veterans’ Commission to sort through the items, carefully selecting items for the Orland Park display. The commission partially funded one of the two trips to the UP, along with Pat Bonnar, a long time Orland Park resident. Terry’s Automotive Group donated the use of a pick-up truck to haul the trailer back to Orland Park.  Melissa Kelbus, daughter of recently deceased Veterans’ Commissioner Joe Kelbus, accompanied Blummer and assisted on one of the trips. The commission ordered two new display cases specifically to display memorabilia at the Cultural Center.

“We brought back 100 boxes of memorabilia, trying to get a box from each state,” Blummer explained. “The number of boxes of memorabilia stored in The Moving Wall Warehouse is astounding; however, we were able to locate the box of memorabilia collected in Orland Park and will have those items on display as well,” she noted.

Because the commission has more exhibit items than space allows at the Cultural Center, the displays will be rotated as time permits. Tentative plans call for the display to remain in Orland Park possibly until the end of October.

The display of memorabilia left at The Wall at locations throughout the country will be on display at the village’s Cultural Center beginning July 8, 2008. The Cultural Center, the former Orland Park Public Library, is located at 14760 Park Lane.