Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
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New England Reservists Support 'The Moving Wall' During Memorial Day The General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston, Maine proudly hosted The Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., from May 26-31, 2016. The museum had applied for The Moving Wall three years prior and upon finding out in October of last year that it had been chosen to display The Wall over Memorial Day weekend, staff went to work. A committee, primarily comprised of veterans, began meeting every other Tuesday to tackle the many tasks at hand. The organization to which The Wall belongs stipulates it must be open to the public 24 hours a day and that the hosting organization must provide grief counselors on site 24 hours a day. That roughly required 145 volunteers on site for each 24 hour period. Combined with the infrastructure that needed to be in place when The Wall arrived, it facilitated the need for hundreds of volunteer hours. GM1 Matthew J. Hansbury, a reservist assigned to the Sector Boston Vessel Boarding Security Team, has worked at the Museum for nearly 10 years. As the Museum's Collections Manager-Curator, he saw the opportunity to ask other Coast Guard members to step up and volunteer. Before coming to Sector Boston GM1 Hansbury was attached to Port Security 301 in Cape Cod, Ma. He deployed with the unit twice, the most recent being to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2013-2014. Two of his shipmates from that deployment, BM2 Mary Murphy and BM2 Joshua Pool, volunteered for multiple shifts during The Wall's stay at the museum. BM2 Murphy acted as a van driver to shuttle the volunteers to off-site parking and BM2 Pool worked with GM1 Hansbury during an overnight 2000-0800 shift. There also were a number of prior service Coast Guard reservists on site. Mr. David Edfors (Lt. 1959-1967), a docent at the Museum, volunteered to guide visitors through the museum after viewing The Wall. Port Security Specialist First Class Rowland Ames (1980-2002) is a member of nearby St. George's VFW Color Guard and participated in various events. Active duty member, Fireman Joshua Price from Station Rockland, participated in a wreath laying ceremony, and retired Capt. Brian Perkins participated in the clean-up effort after The Wall was dismantled. "I was surprised by how many covers (hats) I saw on volunteers and visitors that had U.S. Coast Guard Vietnam Veteran over the course of the five days. I exchanged 'Semper Paratus' a number of times," Hansbury stated. As the nation's first Secretary of War Henry Knox was instrumental in building the infrastructure that constituted the bulk of the U.S. armed forces for many years. It was Knox who proposed a military college be founded at West Point, NY, to George Washington in 1781. He also authorized the building of the first Naval forces, one of this class being the U.S.S. CONSTITUTION. "Knox served in Washington's first cabinet, alongside Alexander Hamilton, who we recognize as the father of the Coast Guard with his creation of the original Revenue Cutter Marine. The two men were great friends having also served together during the American Revolution," noted Hansbury. "I was happy to continue the tradition of that long-lasting relationship as a representative of the Coast Guard. It was a privilege to have The Wall at the museum and honor those that serve in all the armed forces. I encourage any Coasties making their way up the coast of Maine to stop in for a tour of the museum." � Readers can learn more about the General Henry Knox Museum by visiting the museum website at www.knoxmuseum.org F n Joshua Price (far left) represents the Coast g uard during t he Moving Wall wreath laying ceremony. Photo by Kim t raina 66 RESERVIST � Issue 3 • 2016