Through Sunday, people will be able to see a replica of Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Longwood.  A handful of people got a sneak peak at the traveling wall on Wednesday afternoon.

  • Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Longwood through Sunday
  • Memorial is three-fifths the size of the monument in Washington, D.C.
  • Memorial is at Reiter Park near South Seminole Hospital

For Jennifer Decker, it was hard to contain her emotions and tears. 

“It’s hard, it’s hard to stop crying knowing that people gave up their lives for this,” said Decker, whose father fought in Vietnam.

“It hurt walking up to this because it’s not only my father, there are 50,000 people up on there.”

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is three-fifths the size of the monument in Washington D.C., and it travels throughout the country.  The wall is owned and operated by veterans in Brevard County, but it hasn’t been on display in Seminole County in several years.

As volunteers worked at putting the finishing touches on the temporary memorial Wednesday, people like Decker couldn’t resist checking out something they normally wouldn’t be able to see in Longwood.

“Unless we go to Washington, and I don’t plan on doing that.  We’ll never see anything like this again,” said Decker.

Decker’s father escaped Vietnam with his life, only to die a few years later. He did live long enough to share with his daughter some survival stories from the battlefield.

“He would tell me how he had to hide in the woods, trees and bungalows for days just to stay alive,” said Decker.

And Decker says her father also taught her a lesson she’ll never forget.

“I didn’t get much time with him, but the influence he did put in my head was to be strong, be a warrior and to never give up.  And when I see something like this, this is the reason why I never give up on anything I try to do in life,” said Decker.

There will be an official opening ceremony for The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall at 9 a.m. Thursday morning.  It’s on display through a closing ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday at Reiter Park in Longwood, located just behind South Seminole Hospital, off State Road 434.