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“The Moving Wall” a touching tribute to Vietnam vets at Marvel of Flight 2016

By REID TUCKER

"THE MOVING WALL" is a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Part of this past weekend's Marvel of Flight, the Moving Wall has for the last 30 years traveled around the country, educating people about the Vietnam War, while also making the memorial accessible to those who can’t make it to Washington D.C. to see the full-size Wall. (Photo courtesy of Janie Griffith)
“THE MOVING WALL” is a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Part of this past weekend’s Marvel of Flight, the Moving Wall has for the last 30 years traveled around the country, educating people about the Vietnam War, while also making the memorial accessible to those who can’t make it to Washington D.C. to see the full-size Wall. (Photo courtesy of Janie Griffith)

Droves of visitors streamed into DeFuniak Springs for what was unquestionably the biggest and perhaps the most moving Marvel of Flight yet. Headlining the 2016 event was “The Moving Wall,” a half-scale replica of Washington, D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Guests, both those with and those without a personal connection to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who gave their lives in the Cold War-era conflict, came out by the thousands to pay homage to America’s fallen warriors. Indeed, more than 8,000 guests were in attendance for the full breadth of the 2016 Marvel of Flight festivities, held from April 20 – 24 at the city’s municipal airport, easily surpassing the record-setting 6,000-person-strong crowds of 2014.
Airport Services Supervisor Ryan Adams, who coordinated the event and implemented it alongside dozens of city employees, sponsors and volunteers, said having the Moving Wall at this year’s Marvel of Flight was an emotional experience for everyone involved.
“Although I may have never walked in their shoes, hosting the Wall gave me a new perspective on the sacrifices our men and woman in uniform make each day to preserve our liberty and freedom,” he said.
Additionally, and on the less somber side of things, there were more than 100 privately owned aircraft from old Cessnas to home-built gliders to Soviet Bloc trainers on display throughout the sunny springtime morning and afternoon of April 23 – another record smashed by the sixth annual event. There were plenty of other activities for Marvel–of-Flight-ers to occupy themselves with, among them a demonstration from the Southeast Alabama Rocketry Society, the ever-popular car show, musical acts and a slew of vendors with all manner of prime victuals. But over everything stood the Moving Wall, which, after 30 years of touring the country, made its first-ever Panhandle appearance at this year’s Marvel of Flight, and with it came more visitors than ever, even state and national elected officials like State Representative Brad Drake and U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller.

YOUNG AND BULLETPROOF” INDEED. The kids in the crowd at the Marvel of Flight especially loved getting up close to the aircraft on display, including this UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. (Photo by Reid Tucker)
YOUNG AND BULLETPROOF” INDEED. The kids in the crowd at the Marvel of Flight especially loved getting up close to the aircraft on display, including this UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. (Photo by Reid Tucker)

This level of community support and national recognition is a dream come true for Adams, who worked to build the Marvel of Flight into what is now the biggest fly-in and general aviation expo in northern Florida.
“After six years of hosting Marvel of Flight at the DeFuniak Springs Airport, my personal goals of bringing in 100 unique aircraft and 5,000-plus spectators were finally achieved,” Adams said.