The Trinity Catholic 8th graders went on a field trip September 27, when they piled into the bus to see the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Lewiston. The long black marble wall was filled with the names of men and women who had died in the Vietnam War.

Mr. Roger Martel started by introducing the time capsule that was shaped like a casket, with pictures of Vietnam etched on the top. The collage of pictures showed soldiers up to their waists in swampy waters. Also pictured were helicopters and the mountains of Vietnam.

We walked along the path towards the wall, where the many names were listed, from the first person who died to the last. At the end of the long wall, there were two tents containing other objects from Vietnam.

In the first tent there were mannequins dressed like war prisoners and pilots. There were mats that soldiers slept on while they were prisoners of war. There was also a chest full of shackles that our soldiers wore during their imprisonment.

In the second tent a female Vietnam veteran told us about the war and how hospitals treated patients. She herself was a nurse during the war.

Our visit ended with a question and answer period with one of the veterans. It was a very emotional day as we learned about all of the experiences and deaths of all of the soldiers during the Vietnam War.