The Missouri National Veterans Memorial had special visitors.
A group of World War II veterans were part of about 25 veterans out of St. Louis to take a tour of the memorial and the facility on Monday.
The group consisted of six WWII veterans and was the first time MNVM hosted this group.
“The veterans felt humbled and grateful to be at the memorial and be with other veterans and experience the healing and tranquility that the campus provides,” MNVM Executive Director Rae Lynn Munoz said.
The group toured the memorial and received several tokens of appreciation for their service throughout the day.
“These World War II veterans, along with the Korean War veterans, Desert Storm, Vietnam War veterans are all on the same plane to us when it comes to keeping America’s freedom,” event host Mitch Miller said. “You said yes when a lot of other people couldn’t. The World War II veterans inspired everybody that came after you to not quit. It’s not a job where you can say that you’re tired.”
Even though WWII veterans toured the wall, Munoz believes any veteran can find enjoyment or healing from the memorial.
“The memorial itself just isn’t for Vietnam,” Munoz said. “The hallmark of the wall is Vietnam, but there are different parts of the memorial that pay homage to all conflicts from WWII all the way to the war on terror that is still ongoing. There is something for all veterans on this campus.”
There are hopes that there will be many other similar events in the future.
“We have many veterans organizations from the Navy SeeBees and others that we offer tours free of charge to see the beauty of what we have here in Perryville.” Munoz said.
