The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is in Citrus County for part of a weekend-long event to say thank you.
Jim Stepanek said looking for names on the wall is never easy. It opens up a flood of emotions that usually turns to tears.
"I got some people on here I grew up with," he said. "Kindergarten, grade school, high school. We did all kinds of stuff together and their names are on the wall, and mine isn't. I just came to say hello."
He said his time in Vietnam still haunts him and all the names on the wall can be overwhelming.
"God, for 40 years I've been asking myself why?" Stepanek said. "Why did they get killed? Why didn't I, but you just kind of make the best of it. Do stuff like this to make sure people won't forget them."
The traveling wall is at Wallace Brooks Park in Inverness. Volunteers gathered Thursday morning to put it up. Sam Williams said it's all about healing for him.
"There is a certain guilt associated with it," he said. "Why did I get to come home and they didn't and that's part of the healing process."
The city of Inverness is hosting a weekend full of events to honor local Vietnam vets and say thank you. A lot of veterans were not treated well when they got home. Jim remembers getting spit on.
"I hit him and he went down and if he got up fine. If he didn't, I really don't care," Stepanek said.
The wall will be on sacred ground all weekend. A place to come and remember, a place to come and say hello.
"These guys didn't come home, we did," said Williams. "So that's what all this is about. Bring both sides together."