The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament was presented a plaque from the Otway Burns National Daughters of the Revolution Chapter.
The tournament donated more than ten-thousand dollars to DAR in an effort to bring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Morehead City in May of 2017.
Board Member Tommy Bennett was first approached by the Otway Burns DAR Regent, Linda Phelps. “The Big Rock receives numerous requests for donations on an annual basis, but few come with the passion that Linda and the DAR brought. Linda and her team were determined to make the Vietnam Wall visit to Morehead City happen on Memorial Day Weekend, and their devotion to seeing the project through to fruition was evident every step of the way,” explains Bennett.
Phelp
s held back tears as she presented Bennet with the plaque. “It was incredible as it came in to the church parking lot,” Phelps explained. The names of veterans engraved in the wall are her most vivid memory of the experience as well as speaking with veterans that came to visit. “It meant so much them. They just want to be remembered,” she said. Countless community members gathered at Glad Tidings Church to pay tribute to Vietnam Veterans at the wall.
Phelps went on to say, “if we had not met Tommy, I don’t know that the wall would have come to Morehead City.” The donation helped cover transportation of the wall and supplies for volunteers.
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, it stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end. The memorial stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their home town who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.