A CHILD LEAVES BOOTS AT THE TRAVELING WALL

On Saturday September 16, 2006 we had the traveling Viet Nam Wall visit our home town Winter Haven, Fl. We took our grandson, Dominic, age 7, along, and tried to explain to him what the Wall was all about. We spoke to the people in charge of finding the names, for the people who had come to visit. We looked down and noticed a little boy's pair of rubber boots, placed at the Wall. When I asked about them, she replied...

Eleven years ago, a little boy came to visit the Wall with his family. His dad explained to him, that they were soldiers who died in the Viet Nam War. It was pouring rain, so the little boy, age 7 had on his rubber boots. As his father spoke about the soldiers, the little boy suddenly said "If they are soldiers they probably need a pair of boots". So he removed them and placed them by the Wall.

Nearby, there was a vendor selling sandals. The little boy's father bought him a pair to wear home, and he left his boots at the Wall. Eleven years later the same boy returned to the Wall. Only this time more like a man, age 18. He approached the people in charge of the Wall and said, "I didn't think you would keep them all this time."

When our grandson Dominic saw the boots, he asked us... "You don't think they could use sneakers, do you? I have enclosed a picture of our visit to the traveling Wall on Saturday. Unfortunately, the News paper didn't catch a picture of the boots.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all had the hearts of a child???

Andy, Maureen, and Dominic Brigante
September 18, 2006

©Copyright September 18, 2006 by Maureen Brigante