By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Wall That Heals shined a light on the 2.7 million American men and women who served in the Vietnam War, and the more than 58,000 of those men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice. But the Wall was only in Great Bend for a few days. Veteran Larry Parsons was instrumental in bringing the Wall to Great Bend, and he's also been a driving force for a more permanent display at the Barton County Historical Society.
"When we did the Wall, I checked at the Historical Society to see if they had a possible exhibit and they didn't have anything," Parsons said. "So I got together with four or five other Vietnam veterans that had boots on the ground and asked them what they had."
That exhibit, titled "The Least We Can Do: Say Thank You and Welcome Home," will open at the Historical Society just in time for Veterans Day at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9. Admission is $5 and veterans and members will be admitted for free. Light refreshments will be served. Parsons said it's an important exhibit to remember that time in history.
"There are so many families affected, and so many individual soldiers have been affected," he said. "Of course, we're all getting older now. What I've noticed is a lot of them don't really want to talk about it. And a lot of them have a lot of things buried in a box in the basement. What's going to happen is their kids are going to get it someday and they're going to throw it away. We want people to donate it now where we can make an exhibit of it."
Parsons said he and others are interested in hearing from other veterans in the area. Anyone wishing to share stories or donate items from the Korean Conflict or Vietnam War, can reach Parsons at (620) 617-5676.