Vietnam Memorial makes stop in Eden

EDEN, N.Y. (WIVB) - A moving tribute has arrived to honor the Americans who paid the ultimate price in Vietnam. The wall holds endless meaning and pride for many.

If you saw all the people lining the streets in Eden on Wednesday, you would've thought CornFest was starting a couple weeks early. It was a great showing of patriotism from a community welcoming in the Traveling Vietnam Memorial.

>> PHOTOS: See a gallery from Eden as the Traveling Vietnam Memorial arrived

If James Woods had this kind of reception when he returned home from the Vietnam War, he would have been ecstatic.

"It's a good show. Because if this was 1964, 1965, 1966 you wouldn't have these people. They'd be here but they'd be booing," Woods said.

But they are here now with American flags and cheers for the motorcade. It's a dramatic change in respect for war heroes Woods welcomes.

The motorcade led in the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, an 80 percent scale with 100 percent of the more than 58,000 names of U.S. troops who died in that war.

"It's always emotional. Sometimes you just have to look away. That's part of life. You're always going to cry. Because it just brings back the years. And that's it," Woods said.

Wall organizers say the reception in Eden is exceptional.

Organizer Kevin Weatherly sid, "It says a lot when you come out into a town this size and have thousands of bikers show up then thousands of people standing out on the egdes to welcome it into town. It says a lot."

The wall won't be unloaded from the truck and installed until Thursday morning. The opening ceremonies will take place at noon Thursday then the memorial will be open day and night until Sunday at 3 p.m.