The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a reminder to all Americans that freedom isn’t free. The names of 58,183 missing or dead killed in Vietnam are etched on two 246-foot black walls.

On June 29, a scale replica of the memorial – called The Moving Wall – arrived for a four-day stay at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village.

The Moving Wall was created after Vietnam veteran John Devitt attended the dedication ceremony of the original memorial in Washington. He was so moved by the experience that when he returned home to Florida, he and two friends dreamed up the idea for a smaller replica of the memorial that would travel the United States so people could experience something close to visiting the memorial.

Present at a ceremony last Friday morning were veterans and the family members of soldiers killed in Vietnam. Reverend Joe Dagestino said he has seen the memorial in Washington, and that it means a lot to everyone to have The Moving Wall in Queens.

“The ceremony was really touching to everyone,” said Eagle Scout Patrick McDougall of Troop 427.