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LISBON -- The Vietnam Moving Wall is set to return to the Columbiana County Fairgrounds this September -- just in time for Lisbon's Veterans parade and program near the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Moving Wall is set to arrive at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds Sept. 5 and depart Sept. 9, Sharen Cope, arts and craft director for the fairgrounds, told the Lisbon Village Council during its regular meeting Tuesday.
The wall is an exact half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
The village council granted preliminary permission for a parade to be held at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. However, Mayor Peter Wilson advised Cope to talk to Lisbon Police Chief Mike Abraham to obtain official authorization to close the roads for the parade.
The plan is for the parade to run from the train station on North Market Street, up Lee Avenue to the Columbiana County Fairgrounds.
"We want the whole community involved," Cope said. "We want Market Street lined with people to say 'welcome home.'"
There will be a special float in the front of the parade for the Vietnam War veterans.
"I think it's important that we say 'welcome home, we're glad you're here, we're glad you came home.' Because 58,000 people whose name is on that Wall didn't come home," she said.
Other organizations are welcome to enter floats as well.
"If any other military organizations, the Legions, the VFWs, want to have a float for their members, they're more than welcome as well," Cope said.
The last time the Columbiana County Fairgrounds hosted the Moving Wall was in 2014.
"Very few locations get it a second time, so we feel very honored by that," Cope said.
The wall features the names of 36 Columbiana County natives killed in the war during 1959-1975, four Mahoning County natives and eight Hancock County, W.Va. natives.
The 254-foot-wall holds more than 58,000 names of those killed in action in Vietnam.
Cope said she cried when she saw the names of two of her high school classmates who did not return home from Vietnam on the Moving Wall.
"To me, it's just like they're still in high school," she said.
ehouk@mojonews.com