Sandra Branden reverently placed a small American flag at the base of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute  Vietnam Wall on Friday morning at the Mower County Fairgrounds. On the panel above was the name of her father’s cousin, one of over 58,000 killed in Vietnam.

“I was pretty young when I met him, but I still remembered him,” she said. “I’m just showing respect and remembering him.”

Branden was not alone as many individuals, young and old alike, were present, searching the Wall for familiar names.

Wayne Huinker of Austin was at the Wall looking for the name of his cousin, SP4 Charles Meakins of Austin, who was killed on Aug. 25, 1970, in the Binh Long Province of South Vietnam at age 20.

“I think it’s great,” Huinker said of the Wall.

Huinker, who in 1971 was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay in the Khánh Hòa Province of South Vietnam, struggled to keep from getting too emotional.

“It gets the community to come out instead of having to travel to Washington,” he said, holding back tears. “It reaches the families.”

Over 50 years later, the Vietnam War still stirs emotions. The very name conjures the image of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines fighting and dying in locations many Americans could not pronounce in a war that many of them could not understand.

For some, the death of a friend or loved one brought the war home. Greta Anderson of Austin remembered hearing about the death of Tracy Tenhoff, a school friend, in 1966.

“I was a senior in high school and it was on the 10 p.m. news,” she said. “I was sitting in front of the TV watching when it came on. I was shocked and devastated. I had never lost a friend. I went to my room and I never talked about it after that. At the time my older brother was serving in Vietnam and it was even more troubling knowing he was at risk.”

Anderson, whose brother was wounded, visited the Wall on Thursday to honor Tenhoff and those like him.

“That wall coming to this community gave people like me a chance to show our respect for those men and women that served and lost their lives,” she said.

Volunteers were on hand to help visitors find specific names and provide materials to make etchings.

A tent was set up on the grounds near the Wall, where visitors could watch the KSMQ production “Minnesota Remembers Vietnam,” featuring the recollections of seven local residents.

A Huey helicopter was on display, allowing visitors an opportunity to explore the interior. The Huey also made an impromptu flight Friday evening, transporting several Vietnam veterans from the Austin Municipal Airport to the fairgrounds just before the 6 p.m. opening ceremony.

Local schools brought students to see the Wall. Gary Harrison, who served three tours of duty with the U.S. Navy from 1961-66, came Thursday with a group of students from Lyle.

“This is the most emotional thing for any veteran,” he said. “I’ve been to the Wall before and it still brings back memories and emotions. I’ve got friends’ names on there and when we put this wall up (Thursday) morning, I’m sure there were several more who felt the emotions for being recognized for something that happened a long time ago and took a long time for it to come around.”

When asked if he would share the names of those he knew Harrison politely declined.

“That’s a personal moment for me when I go to the Wall and their names are there,” he said. “It’s a special moment.”

Not all of the visitors to the Wall came from Mower County. Vietnam veteran Marvin King came from McIntire, Iowa, to see the Wall.

“It’s a great honor,” he said. “We never got honored when we came back. I’ve seen it three times and it’s a great appreciation for what these guys went through.”

King, who served with the First Military Police, Third Marine Division in Da Nang from 1969-70, came to the Wall to pay respects to three friends, including the man who saved his life, R.J. Ketchum.

“I got hit with a bullet in a rice paddy and he’s the one who dragged me out,” he said. “I left (Vietnam) in October; he got killed Nov. 28, 1970. He was a hell of a Marine. He was really into it.”

While many were thanking the veterans, the veterans were thanking groups like the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee, Austin VFW Post 1216 and American Legion Post 91 for making the Wall’s visit to Austin possible.

“I want to thank everybody who did this,” King said. “We appreciate it closer to home.”

“Thanks to all the veterans and all of the people who supported this,” Harrison said. “I hope it travels around the country so everybody can get to see what it is and what it means.”

“It tells us we’re not forgotten,” Huinker said.