31st Annual Run To The Wall
The Friends of the Texas Vietnam Memorial hold the 31st annual Texas Run to the Wall Nov. 9. The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization supports and promotes the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Fair Park in Dallas. The 30-minute motorcycle ride starts at noon Saturday at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The ride ends at Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial inside Fair Park. There will be a brief memorial event held at the end of the ride. A celebration at Eight Bells Alehouse follows.
“The Texas Run to the Wall doesn’t just honor Vietnam veterans, but it honors all veterans and active-duty personnel from each branch of the military. The ride is a celebration of their service and our freedom,” says Gregery Riedi, member of the Vietnam Vets/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club and a Friend of the Wall.
Texas Run to the Wall started in 1988 as the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club. A year later, former President George H. W. Bush dedicated the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Fair Park. The memorial features five tablets of Texas granite bearing the names of 3,271 Texans killed in action during the war in Vietnam. Also 156 missing in action, with 54 remains recovered and 102 still missing. The memorial celebrates its 30th anniversary on November 11. The memorial recently underwent significant restoration and is open to the public to visit year-round.
Friends of the Texas Vietnam Memorial
The Friends of the Texas Vietnam Memorial (FOTTVM) is a nonprofit that curates and brings awareness to the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Fair Park. The memorial honors those Texans who served the United States in the Vietnam War. Former President George H. W. Bush dedicated the memorial in 1989. Five tablets of Texas granite bear the names of Texans killed or missing in action, including nine Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. A soothing waterfall flows alongside the memorial, which is familiarly known simply as, “The Wall.”
Vietnam Vets/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club
Vietnam Vets/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club’s mission is to promote veterans’ issues and POW/MIA issues. They also work to prevent veteran suicide. Vietnam Vets Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club began event support of the Texas Vietnam War Memorial 31 years ago. This was a year before the memorial was completed and opened for the public. Information available at vietnamvetslegacyvetsmc.com.
