There was an anniversary, yesterday, on the Mall in Washington, DC. There was a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the day when a group of veterans each turned over one shovelful of earth to begin the process of building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Now, 20 years on, we simply call it, "The Wall."
The Wall was finished eight months later and, sometime in early November of this year, there will be a much larger, much more heralded anniversary marking the official dedication of The Wall.
But on this day, in the cold and drizzle of late March in Washington, about 100 people turned out to lay 20 wreaths - one for each year - which carried the names of state veterans organizations, military units, and a few businesses at The Wall.
Jan Scruggs - the Vietnam vet who started the movement for a Memorial to men and women who fought in a war not very many people liked - was the master of ceremonies. A quarter of a century ago, Scruggs took $2,800 of his own money and headed up to Capitol Hill.
A memorial to soldiers killed in the Vietnam War, was not the most popular idea ever to come before Congress back in those days, but two Senators: Mac Mathias of Maryland and John Warner of Virginia got three acres down near the Lincoln Memorial designated for a memorial which has become: The Wall.
One of the people bundled up against the chill and damp yesterday was a man named Brian Thacker. To look at Thacker you think: Government Accountant. But he is a very tough guy.
Brian Thacker received a Medal of Honor for his actions in that war. He was a 1st Lieutenant commanding a forward observation unit which, in 1971, came under heavy attack. Here is the concluding part of the official citation:
By late afternoon, the situation had become untenable. 1st Lt. Thacker organized and directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he remained inside the perimeter alone to provide covering fire with his M-16 rifle until all other friendly forces had escaped from the besieged fire base.
Then, in an act of supreme courage, he called for friendly artillery fire on his own position to allow his comrades more time to withdraw safely from the area and, at the same time, inflict even greater casualties on the enemy forces. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for 8 days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base.
He told me that The Wall has come to mean something special in its 20 years. Thacker said: "This was built to be a Wall that heals. But it has become," he said looking at the parents and their kids in Washington for spring break making their way slowly down the pathway, "A Wall that educates."
An award for war reporting was given to Alex Perry who is in Afghanistan writing for Time Magazine. He gave the eyewitness accounts of the Taliban revolt at the prison in Qala-i-Jangi late last year.
In his written acceptance Perry said he was grateful for having the opportunity to help his readers understand "what foreign policy means at the sharp end." Pretty good line.
That award is named for Joe Galloway who was there, in the mist. As a reporter for United Press International, he covered the war no one much liked for four tours. He, as a civilian, received a Bronze Star with V for valor for risking his life trying to save a gravely wounded soldier.
He co-authored a book, We Were Soldiers Once, which is now, as they say, a major motion picture starring Mel Gibson.
As anniversaries go, this being divisible by ten, was ok. As Washington events go, it wasn't one of the big ones. As wars go, Vietnam wasn't one of the good ones.
But as for the people who went to Vietnam to fight there, to report there, to nurse there, or to doctor there, they were, as they always have been - and as they remain today - the best America has.
On the Secret Decoder Ring page today, a photo of Jan Scruggs and Brian Thacker, a picture of The Wall, and the usual items.
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