Prize Possession

Recently I vented about the so-called PATRIOTS in this wonderful country of ours and it's still eating at me, so I'm going to have to vent some more or I'll lose my mind, what little I have left! I recently sent out the following letter to several corporations and if you want to call it begging then I begged for help. I don't care, it's ultimately going to help some vets. If I can ease one pain, offer some closure to a vet or a fallen comrads family then I've done my job. Can you believe I get replies like the one received from Harley Owners Group that states that Harley-Davidson Motor Company limits its support to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a very worthy organization, but they can't see their way to help the vets! Makes you wonder. Oh yes, the HOG Group only promotes Harley-Davidson dealer and Chapter sponsored events. I could go on and on like NFL, MLB, NASCAR etc., etc. but what is the use. Well any way here's the letter and to all the PATRIOTS, sleep well.


Dear Sir or Madam,

In 1996, My wife and I started a project. The project soon turned into a dream, and that dream is now our Mission. Our Mission is Bringing Home The Wall. To bring home the wall to all of the soldiers who fought in and survived the Vietnam War…. To bring home the wall to families and friends, who lost their soldier in the Vietnam War…. To give a Mother, a son, a wife, a hero, a chance to touch the name of their loved one in remembrance of them…to give them a chance to feel some kind of closure. Our Mission is to Bring Home the Wall to everyone who has been affected by the loss they suffered in the Vietnam War.
With help, we can bring our Wall, which is a small scale of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to soldiers around the country who otherwise would never have the opportunity to see it. Unlike the Traveling Wall, BHTW is 8’ tall and 46’ long and its architecture is unique in that there are many different designs available. Because the Wall layout can be retailored to suit areas of different sizes and shapes, this permits its erection in virtually all spaces.
The primary intention for the Wall is that it can be set up inside a building where many Vietnam War veterans are currently housed. Many veterans are living in these facilities due to illnesses, mental or physical, rendering them unable to leave. In many cases, they will never be able to go to D.C. or to the location of the Traveling Wall. For these brave soldiers, Bringing Home The Wall was created. We can Bring Home the Wall to them….for them.
Through our years of traveling with BHTW, we have invited our visitors to sign a ribbon. The ribbon, in the colors of the Viet Nam Service Ribbon, is now adorned with names and messages, of friends, family members, and soldiers, who have visited. With each new tour, we add footage to the ribbon. Our goal is to see it grow to 494 feet long, which is the length of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington. At which point, we have permission from Washington to have the Color Guard march the ribbon out to the Wall, stretching it to its complete length, and laying it at the foot of our soldiers names. The messages and prayers, sent on our ribbon, WILL make their way to the Vietnam Wall, even if their authors could not. Our dream is to do this on the first Memorial Day that the ribbon reaches maturity. Because this day coincides with the annual run Rolling Thunder makes, most of who are Vets themselves, we find it befitting that they are in attendance to see the display.
I, myself, am a disabled vet, so I can identify with the desire and the NEED to visit the Wall. It is difficult to explain the emotions I feel when I am in the presence of our visitors. To say the least, I am moved by the many faces I see, I am touched by the stories I hear, and I am overwhelmed by the gratitude I receive for Bringing Home The Wall to all of these people. Knowing, first hand, its capacity to move these men and women, makes my Mission even more significant and obligatory. It is our goal, for 2008, to Bring Home the Wall to as many VA Hospitals as possible. We have also had an interest from many schools and would like to use BHTW, as a visual aide, in the education of The Vietnam War.
Due to the fact that I only receive a small disability pension, and traveling with BHTW is an expense that I pay for, we are limited to the number of places we can go and the distance we can travel. Although I have had the wall at many functions in Connecticut and Florida, it simply isn’t enough. Because I intend on attaining my goal, we found it quintessential to unite with ABC, a Non-Profit Organization located in Melbourne, Florida. We hope that this union will help us bring home the wall to a larger number of soldiers and families.


I am asking for you to join our team and help us with our mission. I’m asking you to make a donation or help sponsor the movement of BHTW across the country. I’m asking you to imagine their faces, their eyes filled with tears. I’m asking you to imagine their heads hanging low saying a silent prayer, while hands touch names of someone remembered. I’m asking you to imagine their stories of loss- the children who never knew them, the spouses who will always miss them, the parents who have never forgotten and the soldier who will ALWAYS remember. I’m asking you to imagine their gratitude, for giving them the opportunity, to cry those tears, see those names, and tell those stories. Imagine their feeling of closure. Now imagine your pride in knowing YOU helped them with that process…. knowing you helped them finally secure a little bit of peace nearly three decades following that tragic War.
We are in need of a couple of things to help facilitate the maturation of our goal. We would like to rebuild the wall, making it lighter and more durable. This would be beneficial to my wife and I, so when we set it up by ourselves, without volunteers, it’s an easier process. We are looking for donations and sponsorships to have this new wall built as well as donations and sponsorships for a one ton pickup to move it, and a “toy trailer” to serve as both storage and living space while touring.
Please find it in your heart to help us with our mission through the gift of a donation or sponsorship. If you are unable to help financially, but have a suggestion that may help us in our endeavor to get funding, we would kindly appreciate it.
I’m 63 and my wonderful wife is 60 and I know we don’t have many years left to Bring Home the Wall . I can not emphasize enough, the reaction we get from Vets who have had the opportunity to see BHTW. It is so important to us that we visit many more of them before our journey is through. I hope that you will have the opportunity to come to a viewing yourself, and sign our ribbon of prayers and messages. We thank you for your time and your support.

Any questions you may have can be addressed to:
Thomas and Delores Twigg
4751 N. Kenansville Rd.
St. Cloud, Florida 34773

Proof of 501 c (3) is available upon request.

Thank you again,

T. A. Twigg

Shawneebiker@aol.com




You can view our wall at www.BringingHomeTheWall.com