Local Vietnam War Veteran John Taylor spoke to SVI Media’s Dan Dockstader about his idea to bring The Wall That Heals to Star Valley. The traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial was set up at Star Valley Middle School July 9-12.

The following transcript of the above interview is AI generated. Minor spelling errors are likely to occur.

(0:00) SBI with John Taylor standing on the wall at the Walnut Hills. (0:04) John Taylor, you were a part of bringing this into Star Valley. Give us the background on that.

(0:09) Well, I was one night I just got thinking about the wall and maybe some of us would help people (0:17) up here and give school children and grown-ups as well. And you were aware that there was a (0:23) traveling wall? And I did know about a traveling wall. So you reached out to our local veterans? (0:29) Well, yeah, I got ahold of it.

(0:31) And said, what about bringing this wall to Star Valley? (0:33) See what we can do. And I talked to the veterinarian over here that I knew him, (0:38) and I asked what he thought about it. And he thought it’d be great if we could pull it off.

(0:43) So we started at it. And a lot of people stood up and helped financially or with ideas and good (0:53) information. And how many volunteers have we got out here tonight? I have no idea.

(0:58) But it all came together, right? (1:00) It has all come together. We started this thing last August, I think it was. (1:05) So we’ve been working on it nearly a year.

(1:08) And what had come together tonight as we honored those with PTSD. (1:12) Let’s talk a little bit about yourself and your service in Vietnam. (1:16) Well, I have to say that I grew up in Pennsylvania on a dairy farm.

(1:25) My dad died when I was eight. My brother and me went ahead and milked cows and did farm work. (1:31) You served in Vietnam? (1:32) Went after that.

I ended up going in the service. They had to draft back then. (1:40) Where did you go to serve? (1:42) Oh, I went into Vietnam in Hue, Phu Bai.

(1:46) And served there? (1:46) Yeah, served there. I’ve been at the bottom of Hamburger Hill with Cocoa Beach, Quezon. (1:52) You know all those places related to Vietnam? (1:55) I know all those places in the north that was part of our service.

(2:00) Thank you for your service. (2:02) A closing thought on tonight at the Wall? (2:06) We lost nine men that were on the Wall. (2:11) Do you know these men? (2:12) I know them personally.

(2:14) And they’re on the Wall here tonight? (2:15) And their names on the Wall. One of them was standing next to me when he was killed. (2:20) It has a real meaning to you then, doesn’t it? (2:24) Well, it’s something you live with your whole life.

(2:27) They’re brothers. They’re closer than family brothers. (2:31) And now you honor them tonight.

(2:32) And I hope I honored them forever. (2:36) John Taylor, Vietnam veteran.