Rededication Ceremony At The Vietnam Wall

 

 

 On June 15 at Noon SL time, high above the Veterans Isle sim, there was a rededication event at the recently moved Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Suta Northman led a short ceremony. A number of others, mostly in Veteran groups, were also there. People took a little time to recongize the contributions of Veterans, and the sacrifices they made. 

There was a black box covering something for the first part of the ceremony. Then in the middle of it, the cover was removed, revealing a plaque and picture of the late Cy Cyberstar. Suta announced that the memorial would officially be renamed after him. Cy was once in charge of the group behind the Vietnam Memorial, passing away a few years ago. 

As 1PM approached, singer AustinMoore came by with his dancers. The girls included Netera Landar, who wrote for the Newser years ago, and Talia Sunsong a writer and artist the Newser interviewed. Last but not least was Sandy Hauster

The Memorial Wall can be visited in Veterans Isle. Suta explained the reason for the move was they could no longer to play for a sim to house it. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Veterans%20Isle/177/185/2485

 

Bixyl Shuftan

Memorial For Waya Snowpaw

 

 

On Saturday October 22, a memorial service was held for DJ Waya Snowpaw. He had passed away on Sept 27 and his death announced on the weekend of October 15-16. He was in his 60s. The service was conducted in voice by Suta Northman, EndoraMcandrewsII, and Stacy Maracas. 

Waya in real life was an American Indian, and the ceremony had a number of tribal elements such as a bow, drum, and axe at the coffin, along with a helmet on top of a rifle planted barrel down in a pair of boots, his SL avatar picture in front. American Indian music was played for much of the service. The event happened high above the Veterans Isle sim in front of a group of fellow veterans, friends, and people coming by to show respect.

 

Waya had been DJing for about forty years, most of his adult life. A passionate music lover, he had a noteworthy collection of songs and records, even a few Edison wax cylinders from the 19th Century. A few LPs he supposedly rescued when kids were tossing them around like a frisbee. 

 

Numerous stories were told, in voice, many that sadly were not written down, "I'll miss those wolves that Waya had with him when he DJed." Following the event, there was a 21 gun salute, followed by an informal dance by those who stuck around. 

I was told by one resident, "There will be another service too on 11/5/22 at 2 for all of Waya's furry friends that maybe could not make it here."

Bixyl Shuftan

Black Hills National Cemetary Pictures Near Vietnam Wall

 

The Heavens Sunset sim is noted for it's virtual replica of the Vietnam Wall. But recently Suta Northman whom runs the area had something else to show me. It was a number of photographs on display, under a roof supported by pillars. At the opening were two plaques. One had the Gettysburg Address. The other had the following:

Angel Flights.

In the end .... They gave all.

Black Hills National Cemetary
Spearfish, South Dakota

*********

This is one of many sacred resting places of Angel Flights throughout the world and for our brothers and sisters over the years.

The pictures were of numerous photographs of the cemetery and the nearby Back Hills. Suta would explain some of his family were intered there. Among them was Major Kenneth C Owens, whom had enlisted as a private, got a commission, and worked his way up to Major. He served in Korea and Vietnam. He would also show photos of the nameplaques of two other relatives, Specialist Leroy Boucher and Sergeant Dean Boucher. Both were also veterans of Korea and Vietnam. 

The photos are not far from the Native American Veterans Memorial, which itself is close by the Vietnam Wall.

"All Gave Some, Some Gave All"

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Heavens%20Sunset/191/231/950

Bixyl Shuftan
 

The New Vietnam Veterans Memorial

 

In 2007, a team created a replica of the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Second Life, highly detailed with all 58,000 names. Four years later, it was gone. Recently, over ten years later, the Newser came across a new Vietnam Wall. Getting in touch with the group behind it, Legacy Vets, they explained much about how it came to be, and of course the meaning behind it.
 
Read more in Places.