I have a relative's name on that wall, Panel 1W, right in the middle of it. He was my cousin's husband, whom I met a week before he deployed. A year later, he was declared MIA/AWOL after being shot down over Cambodia. 25 years later, he was finally declared KIA and no longer AWOL.
I was old enough to remember the sorrow this wall represents, but young enough I never had to register for Selective Service before it was stopped, then too old when it was started back up. Others served so I didn't have to, and that reality is something that has never been lost on me. Thanks to all that have, do and will. I would say that if you've never visited this wall, DO IT. It's humbling to stand next to 65000 names that gave ALL there is to give in the service of their country. Though my kids and grandkids all tell me I have no empathy or sympathy, that wall put me on my knees. I was lucky enough to be too young when the draft/Selective Service stopped, and too old when it started back up. That black wall is a very stark reminder of how many went, and so many without a choice. I value my choice, given me by those that served in my stead.
