WATERTOWN 鈥 after it was first pitched to the City of Watertown, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is finally a reality.
Before nearly 1,000 people who braved the sun and the 80-plus degree temperature, the Memorial Wall鈥檚 dedicated on Memorial Day brought brought tears, smiles and awe.
鈥淭his city is so good to its veterans,鈥 U.S. Marine Barry Lawrence said at the special ceremony.
Lawrence, a 1964 Watertown High School graduate, joined the U.S. Marines and went off to Vietnam in 1967, and returned home 19 months later.
Following his tour of duty, he went to school at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he majored in biology and minored in art because he wanted to enter the field of medical illustration. After discovering he needed to attend another four years in medical school after graduation, Lawrence decided to quit school and move to Minneapolis with a friend.
After holding a few other jobs, he went to work as an engraver and someone noticed his work: Don Allen, the founder and president of America鈥檚 Freedom Tribute. Allen asked him to engrave the Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica, which is the monument at the Marine Corps League Aero Park, 918 Boomer St.
