Hundreds of people stood, hands over their hearts, as the National Anthem was sung Thursday afternoon at the Mineola Civic Center. A few dozen yards behind the singer, the stark black silhouette of the Vietnam Memorial Wall stretched 360 feet across the grass. Many cried. Some stared. All stood in reverent awe.

The wall is a replica of the original wall which stands in Washington D.C. The same names are engraved on its surface. The same emotions are stirred when mothers and sons, nieces and brothers, grandchildren and surviving fellow soldiers walk to the wall and gently reach out to a name.

The wall arrived in Mineola on Wednesday. It opened for visitors Thursday afternoon and will remain open each day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., through Sunday. The Mineola Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corp League organized the wall's visit. Thousands are expected to visit the memorial before it packs up and moves on.

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