Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson to Host 'The Vietnam Veterans Wall That Heals' Ride, Parade

The parade will proceed through Downtown New London to Mohegan Sun Casino
 
New London, CT – On November 9, 2016 VetsRock 5-day event hosted by the Mohegan Sun and Til Duty is Done kicks off at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson with a procession to the Mohegan Sun.  The ride leaves Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson, 951 Bank Street, New London, CT at 11:00am. It will travel down Bank Street in New London to Route 32 to the event location at the Mohegan Sun. All motorcycles and cars are welcome to ride along.  This parade is being led the one of a kind Medal of Honor Ford 57’ Thunderbird, that is usually housed at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson.  Riders encouraged to arrive 9 – 10:45 AM at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson as The Wall that Heals arrives the facilities at 9 AM and leaves to Mohegan Sun with the ride starting at 11 AM.

The 4-day event November 9, 2016-November 12, 2016 at the Mohegan Sun comprised of services, activities and a Vets Rock Concert for veterans and all that attend. Til Duty Is Done is committed to help veterans find jobs and appropriate services in their civilian life. Displayed will be The Wall that Heals. On Veterans Day 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) unveiled a half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since it’s dedication, The Wall That Heals, has visited more than 400 cities throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial’s healing legacy to millions.
 
Leading the procession of The Wall that heals to Mohegan sun from Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson is the Medal of Honor 57’ Ford Thunderbird.  It will then remain on display at the Mohegan Sun during the event.  The Medal of Honor car is an awe-inspiring artistic tribute to our country’s military heroes who have received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award that can be bestowed on a member of the United States Armed Services. Renowned artist Mickey Harris, who is recognized as a pioneer of free hand airbrushing and whose art works hang in the Pentagon, painted the car in 2012.  On September 18, 2013, the Medal of Honor car traveled to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention in Gettysburg, PA, where 30 surviving Medal of Honor recipients signed it.  When dealership owner Mike Schwartz saw the car at the prestigious Barrett Jackson auction at Mohegan Sun this June, he was inspired to purchase it as a gift to the local military community.  The car was unveiled to its newest home at Mike’s Famous Harley Davidson at its kickoff event earlier this year on August 14, 2016. 

About Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson:
Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson is located at 951 Bank Street in New London, CT.   The dealership opened in March 2014 in 55,000 square feet within the former Coca-Cola® bottling plant.  The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut honored Mike’s Famous in 2015 with its Military Community Support Award.

About Mohegan Sun
A world at play and a world to its own, Mohegan Sun, created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the world's most amazing destinations with some of New England's finest dining, hotel accommodations, retail shopping, live entertainment and sporting events. Boasting three world-class casinos, Mohegan Sun is also host to the Kids Quest/Cyber Quest family entertainment facility, a luxurious day spa, convention center and meeting facility, a state-of-the-art Poker Room as well as three major entertainment venues with seating from 350 to 10,000. People from across the globe come to see live concerts with some of today's top headliners, along with major sporting events including Mohegan Sun's very own WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun and lacrosse team, the New England Black Wolves.  Every turn leads to a new adventure with an indoor 55-foot waterfall, and electrifying water wall, the world's largest and most spectacular indoor planetarium dome and the awe-inspiring Wombi Rock, a glowing crystal mountain made of imported stone that serves as the focal point of Casino of the Sky.

About The Wall that Heals
On Veterans Day 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) unveiled a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has visited more than 400 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial's healing legacy to millions.

The Wall That Heals exhibition features a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

It is approximately 250 feet in length, and like the original Memorial is erected in a chevron-shape.  The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels

As on The Wall, the names on The Wall That Heals are listed by day of casualty.  Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center.
 
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