At the base of the wall many small American flags pay limp, still tribute to the troops. This year, there's a Harley Davidson motorcycle painted in combat themes contributed by biker-vets in Wisconsin. It was the eighth annual Rolling Thunder Review. It took four thundering hours from beginning to end. There's a homemade collage put together by a senior class from an all-girl's school in West Virginia.
Parents bring enshrined photos of men once young and brave.
Wives bring mementoes of old enduring loves and notes of ongoing lives. Sons and daughters alike sob without shame over their losses. Young soldiers and sailors walk by looking grim and determined, promising never to forget. Besides the flags and flowers and wreaths, there's a lot of mail leaning against the glossy black granite. Most of it, straight from the heart, is addressed to the guys at Khe Sanh, Con Thien, Gio Linh, Hill 881, Ashau Valley and Dong Ha.