More than just names on a wall

XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) - They may appear to be just names on a wall, but they were long ago etched onto something much deeper.

For veterans like Ray Martin 'The Wall', a traveling tribute to the Vietnam War Memorial that is at the Greene County Fairgrounds this weekend is a chance to remember what they'd sometimes like to forget.

"The older you get you think it's going to get easier," Martin says.

Surrounded by a field of flags flowing in the sun, the shadow-filled wall is a stark contrast, representing a dark time for some in American history.

"They were not only forgotten, they were forsaken when they came home," says Tim Spradlin, who helped bring the wall to Greene County.

But even in the wall's darkness, there are rays of light.

"They're all like heroes to me," Martin says.

Adds wall visitor Ralph Doster, "I know we lost a heck a lot of good men, but we have to keep the country safe."

To visit the wall is to remember there are names that matter that are not just our own.

"We get busy in our lives," Spradlin says. "We're worried about the sale at the mall and the next soccer game and we've got troops down range under fire and we have to keep that in our prayers everyday too."

Because as long as the names on the wall are also in people's hearts, they'll be impossible to erase.

"This is to everybody," Martin says as he salutes the wall.