SWANSEA – BayCoast Bank is contributing $50,000 to help pay for construction of a $1.4 million replica in Fall River of the famous Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
The new wall will span 380 feet in length and stand 8 feet tall – about 80% of the size of the original wall in the nation’s capital. Organizers formed a nonprofit to handle the project, receiving donations from both private and public sources, the Swansea-based bank said.
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Construction is expected to start next year.
The Fall River wall will be built at Veterans Bicentennial Park at 1082 Davol St. and it will include a “memorial walk” in front of the wall. The wall will be made of bricks, inscribed with the names of all veterans and citizens who want to express their “respect and remembrances of the sacrifices made by Vietnam War veterans,” the bank said.
“We expect that the wall will be a destination for tourism and contain an educational component for schools to visit and learn,” said Joseph Marshall, founder and president of J. Marshall Associates, a seller of financial-securities products and services in Fall River and also lead organizer of the wall project. “We also anticipate this project will be part of a bigger goal for the waterfront, making Bicentennial Park a community meeting place for special events.”
The Vietnam Memorial Wall will be built alongside the World War II Memorial and the Korean War and Gold Star memorials at the park, which is open daily from dawn to dusk. Visitors to the new wall will be able to determine the exact location of each name, by panel and line numbers, through an alphabetical index.
“It is a privilege and an honor to contribute to this outstanding project,” said BayCoast President and CEO Nicholas Christ, “one that will pay respect to fallen heroes and serve to ensure that their sacrifices will not be forgotten.”
Scott Blake is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Blake@PBN.com.
