On October 23, 1999 1,200 people gathered together in Gardner Spring Auditorium to pay their respects and honor those who died in the Vietnam War. Of the 58,205 men and 8 women listed on the wall, 15 of those casualties were from Ontario, 46 from the Chaffey District, and 240 from local communities. As the ceremony started, the emotional impact could be seen on the faces of the attending public. The Joint Color Guard of the U.S. Army and members of the Ontario Police Department read aloud certain names from the wall, one at a time. The time of birth, the approximate time of death, and the location of each fallen veteran from the Inland Empire was given; additional information was provided for those who were from Ontario.
 

Ten families of the 15 Ontario casualties came from as far as Nebraska to attend the ceremony. Two hundred CHS students, under the direction of Mr. Wasserman, raised $650 to display plants and yellow plaques in front of the wall. These students also presented a bouquet of roses to each of the victims' families.

Gently touching his name, Claudia Lopez (02) lets one soldier know that that someone is thinking of him.

The ceremony then proceeded outside in order to raise the American flag, the burial flag, and POW? MIA (prisoner of war and missing in action) flags. As tears were shed, a 21?gun salute paid tribute to every name on the wall for their ultimate sacrifice. Four helicopters flew the missing man formation above. Two of these helicopters belonged to the Ontario Police Department, one from San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, and one from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

To close the ceremony, and to officially open the wall to the public, a moment of silence was offered as a lone trumpet played "Taps". There are so many names on the wall, it is virtually impossible to find one particular name. For this, several computers were available to assist in locating the line and section number of the sought individual. Visitors were also encouraged to print people's names and, with a crayon, make a rubbing, or impression, of the soldiers' names.

According to Jane Mercer, one of the many knowledgeable guides, "To say hello to these war heroes, all you need to do is rub your finger across the name and they will know you're there." During all hours, there were several Vietnam Wall staff present to assist in finding a name or to answer any questions. Most were up all night supervising the wall and watching people come even in the middle of the night to visit their loved ones in private.

The wall's visit to Chaffey, although very brief, was an educational and heartbreaking experience for most students. Many did not fully realize the impact a war fought thousands of miles away in another country can have on a small community like Ontario. Those who spent even a few moments in the wall's presence gained insight and a memory not soon forgotten. Ultimately, Chaffey's visitors walked away wondering whether any cause, even freedom itself, is worth the thousands upon thousands of so many innocent, beautiful, young people's lives.

On Saturday, October 30, the wall was dismantled and sent on its way to future destinations, where it will doubtlessly move the hearts of countless Americans before settling in its final resting place, Washington D.C.

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