Hanson assists in preparations for traveling Vietnam memorial

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – People in central Illinois recently had an opportunity to see the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial thanks in part to the efforts of employees at Hanson Professional Services Inc. in Springfield, Ill.

John Harms, senior vice president and transportation manager; Dean Bricker, senior engineering technician; Tom Bartolomucci, structural engineer; and Gary Rogers, manager of surveys, donated their time to assist Bisch & Sons Funeral Homes, a subsidiary of Service Corporation International (SCI), in bringing a traveling, scaled version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Springfield over the 2003 Fourth of July weekend. Their services included helping with site layout and preparation and acquiring appropriate building permits.

According to Harms, the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial “gave people in our area a chance to see and touch the wall.” He adds that this is important because many people are unable to travel to Washington, D.C., to see the real “Wall.” The memorial holds special significance to Harms because he served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972 in a helicopter/reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. Bricker also served in the Vietnam War.

The 240-foot-long, 8-foot-high faux-granite replica of the wall was created by Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation and cemetery providers in 1990 as a service to communities across the nation. The traveling exhibit was staffed by volunteers from local veterans’ organizations and VFWs during its visit to Springfield.

For more information about “The Vietnam Wall Experience,” visit www.vietnamwallexperience.com.

Hanson is a national employee-owned consulting firm providing a full range of architectural, engineering and management services. Clients are served from the corporate headquarters in Springfield, Ill., and regional offices in Rockford, Chicago, Matteson and Peoria, Ill.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Sacramento, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Atlanta, Ga.; Orlando and West Palm Beach, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Wayne, N.J. (New York metropolitan area); and North Andover, Mass. (Boston area).

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