By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The panels containing the names of more than 58,000 American men and women who lost their lives serving in the Vietnam War not just weighed heavy on the arms of players and coaches from the Tennessee Tech football team on Wednesday morning, but heavy on their hearts and minds.
The team helped install The Wall That Heals this week, a traveling 375-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall, stationed at the Putnam County Sports Complex (497 Whiteaker Springs Road, Cookeville) through Sunday, with the event's closing ceremonies scheduled for 1 p.m. that day.
In those moments helping put The Wall That Heals together, it wasn't just a community service project. It was a history lesson, a lesson in sacrifice and heroism, a lesson in true courage.
Tech head football coach Dewayne Alexander was humbled by the reaction.
"There were a lot of questions," he said. "As coaches, we're always talking about commitment, courage, sacrifice. What these guys did is a much broader level than our guys are ever going to have to do in football. You could see it as we put the panels in – 58,000 people who lost their lives in the Vietnam War – it's really chilling.
"You put that up there and you realize that name means somebody. There's a real person out there that had a mom, dad, uncles, cousins, kids, whatever that had someone who didn't come back. It was humbling, and they asked questions. Reading some of the information out there, I think they really started to appreciate what it was, and I think it really hit home.'
The Wall That Heals has traveled to more than 600 communities across the United States. Its mission is to bring The Wall in Washington, D.C. to communities to "allow the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin."
The exhibit also contains a mobile education center with cases that display photos of service members on The Wall, as well as letters and memorabilia left there, and a map and overview of the Vietnam conflict.
Alexander said, "Events like this are important to the community. It's the only place in Tennessee that it's going to make a stop. That was really a neat thing for our guys and our staff because there is a lot of history involved there. For our players, you hate to say it, but the Vietnam War is ancient history to them. For them to go out there and be a part of that and do something for our community, Putnam County and the city of Cookeville – that's certainly something we want to be involved in."
The replica is made of powder-coated aluminum, supported by a frame and made up of 24 individual panels.
And as The Wall That Heals was erected, the impact left on the Golden Eagles was great.
This isn't the only project that the Tech football team has taken part in. With spring practice in the books, the team has been visible throughout the community.
"We want our young men to understand that they are very fortunate to be able to play college football," Alexander said. "They need the opportunity to see how much people in the community really look up to them, because you really don't recognize it until you get out into the community and serve."
That couldn't be truer for the youth of the community.
"We've done some reading programs at some of the elementary schools with the Dr. Suess Reading Day in Algood," Alexander said. "We went to Baxter Elementary and helped Marsha White, the principal there and her staff with some clean up around campus. We painted the playground, worked some mulch beds and cleaned the school up.
"To see the kids interact with the players, ask if they play football, it's fun to see. It's good for them."
This week, the team has also been involved in setting up the Rich Froning's Mayhem for Mustard Seed Ranch 4 event, which will be held on April 29 at Hyder Burks Pavilion. All proceeds go to support Mustard Seed Ranch.
"That ranch is to help young people that don't have the opportunities our guys have right now," Alexander said. "That's a way to help people get a hand up.
"It's a chance for our guys to understand they're in a position with their abilities and talents, and as a college football player, to really make a difference, make an impact. So many times when we recruit young men, everything is always about what we can do for you. Come here because we can do this, we have this, we have this for you. It's important that they come away at some point in their college career where they recognize that they have a responsibility and they could really use their talents and gifts to do something and make a difference for your community – not just here, but even in the communities they end up in four to five years from now."
And it hasn't just been the players being active in these projects. Tech's coaches have also played a hand in the activities.
"We weren't just going to send five or six kids out there and call it a day," Alexander said. "Our coaches have gone on every one of these. We've had multiple members of our staff out there. I've been there for every project except one, because I had commitments in the office. It gives us a chance to get to know our players as we work alongside them. It's a totally different atmosphere than practice or meetings. It's been a bonding thing for our staff and players. Our coaches have also gotten a chance to meet a lot of different people within the community.
"We have certainly gotten a lot out of it and it's been very rewarding to us to do, because it has given our players, our staff a chance to get to know the community better. It's something we look forward to doing and continue to do for a long, long time."
Photos courtesy of Randy Porter
