Traveling Memorial And
Awareness Center !
Yahoo Group
Visiting My Site !
Please Sign My Guest Book !
And Awareness Center For
P.O.W./M.I.A.s Got Started !
We started going back to Veteran reunions in 1991 getting involved in different issues. In Sept. of 1995 we went to a Veteran Reunion in Kokomo, Indiana. When we were there my family saw a semi trailer all decked out with air brushed tank's and war airplanes on it, and another one with the P.O.W./M.I.A.s from Michigan on it. At this time, our family was getting very active in other issue's besides the P.O.W./M.I.A. issue, so I mentioned to my son, that was fifteen years old I wanted to do something like what we saw with the semi trailers. So if you know how kids are, they keep on bugging you about what you said you wanted to do, until you get off your duff and do what you were going to do. When I desided to do something I wanted it to be something completely different from anything else, so we thought and thought about what we wanted to do, and then I figured something out which a lot of people didn't know or realize! That the P.O.W./M.I.A.s that are on the wall at Washington, D.C., as well as the ones that sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. They are also on the Moving Wall. The only difference is the P.O.W./M.I.A.s that haven't been found have a Cross next to their Name. If their found, they make the cross into a Star. Before I found that out, I alway's thought that the Cross ment that a soldier was a Chaplin, and the soldier with the star was a General of some sort. Then I asked myself how many people thought the same thing as I did, or even noticed a difference. At that time, I started questioning myself and my government. Why were the P.O.W./M.I.A.s Camoulflauged into the Black Granite Wall. Is it because our Government didn't want the American Citizens to actually realize, and see for there own eyes how many soldiers our Politicians Abanded in southeast Asia (Vietnam). Were they affraid of what the populas of American Society would think, or were they just plain affraid of a possible P.O.W./M.I.A. comming home after 20 some years. So if you ask me why we did this, it is because hopefully this will be a large awakening to the Citizens of America and our Politicians that this type of dishonor to our soldiers can't be tolerated any longer and to be able to bring this out into the publics eye to keep the awareness alive. My only hope is that this never happens again. There are many Children that suffered, along with the wifes and husbands of the active service personel affected by there missing P.O.W./M.I.A. and also the friends of the P.O.W./M.I.A.s themselves not to mention the parents and family members of the P.O.W./M.I.A.s.
In the summer of 1997 my boy, that was very active into military role playing at Veteran reunions, was involved in a automoble accident where he and his best friend lost their lives. This is and has been a very hard thing to deal with. I know where my son is at, and I miss him dearly. I wouldn't know how to react not knowing the fate of a son or daughter that was a P.O.W./M.I.A of past or present wars. After my son got killed, we refinished the inside of the Memorial and made an Awareness Center out of it, where people can read about the fate of P.O.W./M.I.A.s of all wars. There is a little about each war, but it mainly coincides with the Vietnam war in Southeast Asia. We also started a Veterans Family Retreat and Campgroud. We started it as Concrete foundation to set this Memorial on. It is used to help raise revenue to help keep the Traveling Memorial Running down America's highway's and to keep the awareness alive. We don't charge anything to take the Memorial out and display it, becuase I feel our soldiers that are missing have sacrificed enough. We can only take it out as we raise enough funds to do so. Please pray for our venture in what we are trying to do, and if your in the area, please stop by and check the Veterans Family Retreat and Campgroud out and stay a while, hope to see you in the near future !
Donations can be sent to:
E-Mail pow@wabash.net Dennis K. Shields c/o
Contact Dennis Traveling Memorial
P.O. Box 57
Albion, Illinois 62806
P.S. Every dollar spent here is spent
for a good cause, another Business
striving to help the POW/MIA cause !
Site Link's
FamilyRetreat & Campground
Temporary
Yahoo
Photo's !
My wife dedicated to the
P.O.W./M.I.A.s Tracing
each and every soldiers
name with paint marker's
it has to be done twice a year due to the sun fading
the names of the brave
soldier's, as she traces each soldier's name she say's a silent prayer for their safety and quick return home to their loved
ones, it takes her appx: two weeks to finish hand
tracing each and every soldiers name !
We Went To Fight And Defend The Principles Of Freedom In America, And Then We Were Captured By The Enemy, When Duty Called !
I
Ever
Be
Able
To
Come
Home ?
Must Feel That We
Are An
Expendable
Loss For
America's
Freedom's !
There Is A Lack Of Proper Legislation
For Veterans And P.O.W./M.I.A. Issues !
If you like what I have done so far please sign my guest book and forward this off to your friends, thank-you !