[00:00:14]
I WAS PAYING RESPECT TO SOME HIGH SCHOOL BUDDIES
THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT HOME. MY CLOSE BUDDY MANUEL HERNANDEZ FROM CORPUS CHRISTI AND HIS DREAM WAS
TO COME BACK TO HIS OLD HIGH SCHOOL AND TEACH, BUT AFTER FOUR MONTHS A BULLET TOOK AWAY THAT
DREAM. 19-YEAR-OLD. EVERYBODY HAD SEVERAL OF THEIR BUDDIES ON THIS WALL. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE
I GOT TWO GUYS THAT I WAS WITH SAM TILLY AND VICK INEZ THAT I WAS WITH THEM WHEN THEY WERE KILLED. I'VE
BEEN TO THE TO THE WALL THAT HEALS ANYTIME IT'S CLOSE, MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME. I'LL CARRY THEM
WITH ME FOREVER. IF THEY GET A CHANCE TO COME OUT AND SEE THIS AND SEE THE EXPANSIVENESS EVEN AT
3/4 SCALE AND 58,000 PLUS NAMES. IT'S HARD. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BUT
NEVER GOT AROUND TO IT. SO THIS KIND OF FULFILLS A BUCKET LIST OF MINE, OF VISITING THIS WALL AND I'M
GLAD IT'S TRAVELING. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. IT MEANS THAT WE NEVER FORGET. HAD NINE CLASSMATES
THAT WERE KILLED IN VIETNAM AND JUST HAVING A CHANCE TO COME AND HONOR THEM. I'M HONORED TO BE
A PART OF IT, DO A LITTLE BIT OF SERVICE TO REMEMBER ALL THESE MEN WHO DIED. I GRADUATED
FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN '64 AND I KNOW THERE WERE MANY MANY BOYS THAT WENT. I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES
BUT I KNOW THAT SOME OF THEM WERE ON THE WALL. AND IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO LOOK AND FEEL AND JUST
REMEMBER. I HAVE BEEN TO THE WALL IN WASHINGTON AND I WANTED TO COME TO SEE THE ONE THAT WAS HERE. MY
HUSBAND DID SERVE IN THE NAVY. HE WAS IN DURING THE VIETNAM ERA. IT'S ABSOLUTELY GREAT BECAUSE A LOT
OF PEOPLE CAN'T GO TO WASHINGTON OR THEY DON'T CHOOSE TO GO TO D.C. MY GRANDPA IS A MARINE AND
HE KNEW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THIS WALL. I HELPED PLACE PICTURES OF FALLEN SOLDIERS
ON THE GROUND WITH FLAGS. IT WAS PRETTY COOL TO DO IT BUT IT WAS JUST SAD, IT'S LIKE HEARTBREAKING REALLY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.