Local vineyard owner encouraged community to visit ‘The Wall That Heals’
–The Wall That Heals, a mobile replica exhibit of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was on display in San Luis Obispo from Mar. 29 to Apr. 1. Local veteran and owner of Vista Del Rey Vineyards, Dave King, used his platform to show support for the memorial and encourage community members to visit.
“It’s extremely great to have a traveling one… it’s very gratifying and I know a lot of people… had a chance to recognize missing bodies and that’s how it all started with the permanent wall in Washington, D.C.,” said King, who served 22 years in the Navy and had a tour in Vietnam.
King was stationed in the Washington, D.C. area when the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built in 1982. The traveling wall has over 58,000 names of men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty in Vietnam. ‘The Wall That Heals’ first came to San Luis Obispo 21 years ago and will visit 38 sites this year. One must apply to host the wall years in advance, according to King. The County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Services Office hosted the wall this year.
“My Vietnam tour was a defining moment in my 22 year Navy career. Due to my Vietnam tour, I was able to attend the Naval Post Graduate School where I earned a Masters Degree in Physical Oceanography. In the following years, I was able to intersperse ship tours with tours requiring me to employ my graduate degree in a teaching capacity at the Naval Academy and two tours in high tech undersea research, development, test and evaluation centers. These tours provided me with program management and system engineering skills that directly translated to the underpinnings of Vista Del Rey Vineyards… [‘The Wall That Heals’] has not been here for 21 years and not likely to return for some time. Please take a moment to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice. CDR John David King USN RET,” wrote King on the Vista Del Rey Vineyard’s Facebook page on Mar. 29, which marked Vietnam Veterans Day.
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