Oceanside, CA
Motorcyclists to ride with war memorial replica
Apr/13/2010 22:28 Filed in: News Article
Motorcyclists to ride with war memorial replica
BY BRUCE LIEBERMAN, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010 AT 10:28 P.M.
SAN DIEGO — Motorcyclists from around the county will ride from San Diego to Oceanside on Wednesday to show their support for a four-day installation of a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial wall in Washington, D.C.
The “American Veterans Traveling Tribute” begins at noon Thursday at the El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive in Oceanside.
Today at 9 a.m., motorcyclists are expected to begin arriving at San Diego Harley-Davidson in Kearny Mesa, 5600 Kearny Mesa Road. They will then accompany a semi-truck carrying the replica up to Oceanside, traveling on state Route 163, Interstate 805 and Interstate 5.
The four-day visit at the senior center will feature an opening ceremony, a concert, guest speakers and a church service. The wall will be on display from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The event is sponsored by Rushing Wind Ministries in Oceanside, Recon Mountaineer, Bikers for Christ International, Wheels of Grace Magazine, Quick Throttle Magazine and Marriott Residence Inn.
For more information, go to rushingwindministries.org.
BY BRUCE LIEBERMAN, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010 AT 10:28 P.M.
SAN DIEGO — Motorcyclists from around the county will ride from San Diego to Oceanside on Wednesday to show their support for a four-day installation of a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial wall in Washington, D.C.
The “American Veterans Traveling Tribute” begins at noon Thursday at the El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive in Oceanside.
Today at 9 a.m., motorcyclists are expected to begin arriving at San Diego Harley-Davidson in Kearny Mesa, 5600 Kearny Mesa Road. They will then accompany a semi-truck carrying the replica up to Oceanside, traveling on state Route 163, Interstate 805 and Interstate 5.
The four-day visit at the senior center will feature an opening ceremony, a concert, guest speakers and a church service. The wall will be on display from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The event is sponsored by Rushing Wind Ministries in Oceanside, Recon Mountaineer, Bikers for Christ International, Wheels of Grace Magazine, Quick Throttle Magazine and Marriott Residence Inn.
For more information, go to rushingwindministries.org.
OCEANSIDE: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica on display through Sunday
Apr/14/2010 20:02 Filed in: News Article
CIGI ROSS - cross@nctimes.com | Posted: April 14, 2010 8:02 pm | (17) Comments | Print
Motorcyclists Daniel Barajas, left, and Bill Weber, both of San Bernardino, greet each other at the El Corazon Senior Center in Oceanside on Wednesday where the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica will be displayed. (Photo by Bill Wechter - Staff photographer)
A crew of more than 200 motorcyclists rode through Oceanside on Wednesday afternoon, escorting a traveling memorial to Vietnam veterans that will be on display over the next several days at the El Corazon Senior Center.
Many of the bikers were veterans, with bright patches and pins broadcasting their service or American flags on their jackets and vests.
The memorial they brought to town is a 370-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. The wall will be on display at the senior center from Thursday through Sunday and is sure to attract a crowd, said Fred Zariczny, a Vietnam-era veteran and pastor of Rushing Wind Ministries.
Zariczny said his congregation sponsored the traveling wall, owned by American Veterans Travelling Tribute, because they wanted to honor the area's many servicemen and women. He invited people from throughout the region to visit the exhibit.
He said the memorial gives servicemen and women, their families and friends a place to honor those who have been killed in combat.
"We believe there's a lot of people that need to be recognized, honored and thanked for their service to our country," he said. "People have lost family members in these wars, and we want to tell them we love them and God loves them."
The wall, made from metal, is about 80 percent of the size of the granite monument in the nation's capital. It is one of several walls that travel throughout the United States to pay homage to soldiers killed in that conflict. The wall contains the names of more than 58,000 servicemen and women who were killed overseas during the Vietnam War.
The replica wall will be open for free viewing from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
A ceremony with guest speakers and music will be held at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Rushing Winds Ministry will hold a church service at the wall at 10 a.m. Sunday.
The exhibit is at the El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive off Rancho del Oro Drive near Oceanside Boulevard.
The four-day installation will also feature memorials for World Wars I and II, the Korean War and Sept. 11, and nine presentation boards featuring gold dog tags engraved with the names of soldiers who were killed during any war since the Vietnam War.
Shirley Doty, who with her husband, Steve, is a part owner of Americans Veterans Travelling Tribute, said the company travels wherever they are invited to display the wall. Their version of the traveling wall ---- which is different from the wall that came to Oceanside in 2004 and was on display in San Diego last week ---- will visit 35 cities in 2010.
"The wall is to honor, remember and respect all who served," Doty said Wednesday. "It's for the people that can't go to D.C."
John Stryker Meyer, coordinator of the veterans program at Interfaith Community Services and a Vietnam War veteran, said he plans to visit the wall this weekend. He said the replica wall that visited Oceanside six years ago allowed many veterans to open up about their experiences in Vietnam.
"The wall has a profound healing effect on a lot of people," he said. "It's a poignant reminder of the price our country paid for that conflict. (Visiting) it is a major event for at least Vietnam vets, their families, and for those who knew people that died there or were MIAs."
The event is sponsored by Rushing Winds Ministries, Recon Mountaineer, Bikers for Christ International, Quick Throttle Magazine, Wheels of Grace Magazine and Marriott Residence Inn.
Visit www.rushingwindministries.org.
Call staff writer Cigi Ross at 760-901-4067.
Motorcyclists Daniel Barajas, left, and Bill Weber, both of San Bernardino, greet each other at the El Corazon Senior Center in Oceanside on Wednesday where the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica will be displayed. (Photo by Bill Wechter - Staff photographer)
A crew of more than 200 motorcyclists rode through Oceanside on Wednesday afternoon, escorting a traveling memorial to Vietnam veterans that will be on display over the next several days at the El Corazon Senior Center.
Many of the bikers were veterans, with bright patches and pins broadcasting their service or American flags on their jackets and vests.
The memorial they brought to town is a 370-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. The wall will be on display at the senior center from Thursday through Sunday and is sure to attract a crowd, said Fred Zariczny, a Vietnam-era veteran and pastor of Rushing Wind Ministries.
Zariczny said his congregation sponsored the traveling wall, owned by American Veterans Travelling Tribute, because they wanted to honor the area's many servicemen and women. He invited people from throughout the region to visit the exhibit.
He said the memorial gives servicemen and women, their families and friends a place to honor those who have been killed in combat.
"We believe there's a lot of people that need to be recognized, honored and thanked for their service to our country," he said. "People have lost family members in these wars, and we want to tell them we love them and God loves them."
The wall, made from metal, is about 80 percent of the size of the granite monument in the nation's capital. It is one of several walls that travel throughout the United States to pay homage to soldiers killed in that conflict. The wall contains the names of more than 58,000 servicemen and women who were killed overseas during the Vietnam War.
The replica wall will be open for free viewing from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
A ceremony with guest speakers and music will be held at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Rushing Winds Ministry will hold a church service at the wall at 10 a.m. Sunday.
The exhibit is at the El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive off Rancho del Oro Drive near Oceanside Boulevard.
The four-day installation will also feature memorials for World Wars I and II, the Korean War and Sept. 11, and nine presentation boards featuring gold dog tags engraved with the names of soldiers who were killed during any war since the Vietnam War.
Shirley Doty, who with her husband, Steve, is a part owner of Americans Veterans Travelling Tribute, said the company travels wherever they are invited to display the wall. Their version of the traveling wall ---- which is different from the wall that came to Oceanside in 2004 and was on display in San Diego last week ---- will visit 35 cities in 2010.
"The wall is to honor, remember and respect all who served," Doty said Wednesday. "It's for the people that can't go to D.C."
John Stryker Meyer, coordinator of the veterans program at Interfaith Community Services and a Vietnam War veteran, said he plans to visit the wall this weekend. He said the replica wall that visited Oceanside six years ago allowed many veterans to open up about their experiences in Vietnam.
"The wall has a profound healing effect on a lot of people," he said. "It's a poignant reminder of the price our country paid for that conflict. (Visiting) it is a major event for at least Vietnam vets, their families, and for those who knew people that died there or were MIAs."
The event is sponsored by Rushing Winds Ministries, Recon Mountaineer, Bikers for Christ International, Quick Throttle Magazine, Wheels of Grace Magazine and Marriott Residence Inn.
Visit www.rushingwindministries.org.
Call staff writer Cigi Ross at 760-901-4067.
Oceanside: Wall of Remembrance
Apr/15/2010 09:09 Filed in: News Article
By Christina Lopez - clopez@nctimes.com | Posted: April 15, 2010 9:09 pm
Fred Zariczny has never seen the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., but his first encounter last year in Washington state with the traveling replica now on display at the El Corazon Senior Center in Oceanside was powerful enough.
"It broke my heart," said Zariczny, a veteran known as Pastor Z to those at Oceanside's Rushing Wind Ministries.
"It was then I knew we needed something like this for the people of Oceanside," he said.
The centerpiece of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute that opened yesterday is an 80 percent scale replica of the original.
It comprises 48 slabs of faux granite engraved with the approximately 58,250 names of the U.S. servicemen and 8 servicewomen who died in the decades-long Asian conflict that ended in 1975.
Nine 12-by-18-foot displays of the U.S. conflicts fought since Vietnam also are part of the tribute, which is free to the public.
"There are seven traveling memorials in the United States," said Zariczny, founder of Bikers for Christ International. "We paid to bring in the largest tribute in the U.S. to Oceanside. My hope is that this memorial will bring some healing and hope to the city."
With the help of volunteers, and donations from the community, church organizations and local businesses, the tribute came to town after a year of planning and preparation.
"(An anonymous veteran) donated $15,000 to bring this event to Oceanside," Rosemarie Morris, a member of Rushing Wind Ministries, said.
For Steve Doty, president of the Texas-based traveling tribute and a U.S. Air Force veteran, the passion to share the wall with thousands across the nation is a labor of love.
"This is not a source of income," Doty said. "This is a mission and a passion for us."
Doty travels with the wall throughout the year with his friend and tribute co-founder, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Don Allen.
The tribute is on the road from late February through November, with the final stop on Veterans Day in South Carolina.
"We travel to communities, whether they're big or small," Doty said. "It's a time of sharing, meeting old friends and celebrating our freedoms."
It's also a way of sharing the emotional impact of the wall.
"We want to honor, respect, and remember those who served and those who are serving," Doty said.
"Not many can go to D.C., and many won't go."
During yesterday's opening ceremonies, groups of active and retired service members combed the memorial for names of those they served alongside.
Others, such as retired sailor John McDaniels, were hesitant to look for the names of friends who had died so many years ago.
"There was a lot of loss of good men for something we believed in," McDaniels said as he choked back tears. "I'm not sure if I want to find any of my buddies."
Many younger service members saw this event as an opportunity to pay their respects.
"There is a bond that never goes away," Camp Pendleton Marine Capt. Daryl Desimone said. "In the day-to-day activities, it's so easy to lose focus. It's a good reminder to remind ourselves of those who went before us."
"It doesn't take a vet to honor a vet," Doty said. "Never forget."
Call staff writer Christina Lopez at 760-740-5416.
Fred Zariczny has never seen the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., but his first encounter last year in Washington state with the traveling replica now on display at the El Corazon Senior Center in Oceanside was powerful enough.
"It broke my heart," said Zariczny, a veteran known as Pastor Z to those at Oceanside's Rushing Wind Ministries.
"It was then I knew we needed something like this for the people of Oceanside," he said.
The centerpiece of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute that opened yesterday is an 80 percent scale replica of the original.
It comprises 48 slabs of faux granite engraved with the approximately 58,250 names of the U.S. servicemen and 8 servicewomen who died in the decades-long Asian conflict that ended in 1975.
Nine 12-by-18-foot displays of the U.S. conflicts fought since Vietnam also are part of the tribute, which is free to the public.
"There are seven traveling memorials in the United States," said Zariczny, founder of Bikers for Christ International. "We paid to bring in the largest tribute in the U.S. to Oceanside. My hope is that this memorial will bring some healing and hope to the city."
With the help of volunteers, and donations from the community, church organizations and local businesses, the tribute came to town after a year of planning and preparation.
"(An anonymous veteran) donated $15,000 to bring this event to Oceanside," Rosemarie Morris, a member of Rushing Wind Ministries, said.
For Steve Doty, president of the Texas-based traveling tribute and a U.S. Air Force veteran, the passion to share the wall with thousands across the nation is a labor of love.
"This is not a source of income," Doty said. "This is a mission and a passion for us."
Doty travels with the wall throughout the year with his friend and tribute co-founder, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Don Allen.
The tribute is on the road from late February through November, with the final stop on Veterans Day in South Carolina.
"We travel to communities, whether they're big or small," Doty said. "It's a time of sharing, meeting old friends and celebrating our freedoms."
It's also a way of sharing the emotional impact of the wall.
"We want to honor, respect, and remember those who served and those who are serving," Doty said.
"Not many can go to D.C., and many won't go."
During yesterday's opening ceremonies, groups of active and retired service members combed the memorial for names of those they served alongside.
Others, such as retired sailor John McDaniels, were hesitant to look for the names of friends who had died so many years ago.
"There was a lot of loss of good men for something we believed in," McDaniels said as he choked back tears. "I'm not sure if I want to find any of my buddies."
Many younger service members saw this event as an opportunity to pay their respects.
"There is a bond that never goes away," Camp Pendleton Marine Capt. Daryl Desimone said. "In the day-to-day activities, it's so easy to lose focus. It's a good reminder to remind ourselves of those who went before us."
"It doesn't take a vet to honor a vet," Doty said. "Never forget."
Call staff writer Christina Lopez at 760-740-5416.