06/13/2026
Hello.
Depending on which source you look in, 60-ish years ago our Nation was engaged in a conflict which divided the nation and helped fuel social changes which still affect us today.
Vietnam was a far-off place in Southeast Asia which few people knew existed until the television news brought the conflict into our living rooms exposing the public to the reality of war that was never possible in previous conflicts where newspapers and then much later newsreels were the main carriers of news. Experiencing a conflict in near real time changed how we thought about military conflict.
No matter what side of the conflict you sit on, somebody has to go enact the will of the Nation's leaders - the service members who swore to stand up and do the hard work of bringing the hope of the idea which is "America" to others. Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines did their duty in Vietnam and came home to a Nation which was significantly different to them.
It was a difficult time. Finding a way to make peace with the conflict and its affects on our society is something that our Nation is still working on.
The first step in the process from the Veterans who served in Vietnam was the creation of "The Wall". A simple and elegant piece of granite that put the truth of the 58,281 service members who did what they could in service to our Nation.
It is a place to reflect on the price we pay to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy.
It is a place to remember those who went out and didn't come back.
It is a place to start healing wounds within ourselves that we didn't want but were given through our experiences as our Nation tries to be the example of what humanity is capable of.
Our Nation is not perfect... we admit that in our first sentence of the Constitution... we seek "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the General Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
.. The Wall is a simple yet powerful reminder that sometimes our goal of a better world will be difficult and messy, but it is also a symbol of hope that despite the difficult times in our lives, we can recover and move forward.
The [traveling] Wall is currently in Brookings at the Fishbach Soccer Complex on 20th Street South. Please figure out a way to visit it and reflect on what it means to you. It will be there and open to the public 24-hours a day through Sunday afternoon on the 14th of June.
Your trip and time with the people memorialized on it will be well worth it.
Be well,
Mayor Lagerstrom
