CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — The replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is coming to Clemson next month.

Jimmy Manley, commander of Pendleton American Legion Post 113, said he and a fellow Vietnam veteran, Harold James of LaFrance went to Washington to see the memorial in 2007. After making some calls to the organization that hosts the wall, Manley said he was able to secure it for Nov. 12-16.

“We decided we wanted to bring it to the Anderson area,” he said. The location was moved from the Civic Center of Anderson to Clemson’s Bowman Field because “the object is to get as many people to see the wall as possible,” he said.

Clemson University President James Barker met with Manley and other officials and endorsed the idea, Manley said.

“We are excited about it,” Manley said. “Everybody in the area is.”

The main part of the original memorial, which was completed in 1982, is adjacent to the National Mall, northeast of the Lincoln Memorial, according to the Web site Wikipedia. The memorial recieves around 3 million visitors each year. The wall lists more than 58,000 names of those killed or still missing. The replica wall is about half the size of the original.

Normally, getting the replica wall around Veterans Day is a three- to five-year wait, he said, but the American Legion post was able to get it this year.

Clemson University will be the host for the wall.

It will arrive at the Greenville-Pickens Fairground, next to the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, about 10 a.m. Nov. 12, escorted by the Rolling Thunder and Patriot Guard motorcycle groups.

Joe Frasson of Spartanburg, road captain for the motorcycle escort and a Korean War veteran, said he hopes to get 2,000 riders to escort the wall. He said 1,300 escorted the wall when it came to Spartanburg in December.

Frasson, 74, will be riding the lead bike, and expects the escort length to be 5 miles. Riders from Georgia, Tennessee and other states are expected to participate.

The wall will be escorted to Clemson on U.S. 123, turn onto S.C. 93 and go through Liberty, Norris and Central into Clemson to Bowman Field, Manley said.

The wall, which is half the size of the original, will be available for viewing 24 hours a day until Nov. 16. There will be an opening and closing ceremony, Manley said.

Vietnam veterans from Anderson and Oconee counties are raising money to pay for the visit, which costs $10,000. Manley said the Anderson post lacks just $1,100 to complete the fundraising and will appear on WAIM-AM radio on Friday to solicit funds.

The first veteran to donate was from World War II, retired Clemson professor J.C. Hubbard, who gave $100, Manley said.

The groups have been holding fundraisers, selling T-shirts and caps, and two songs Manley wrote about the wall to raise the money. Donations can be sent payable to Pendleton American Legion, Box 448, Pendleton SC 29670.

Any veterans organization wishing to be involved can contact Manley at 864-221-3916, Jodi Lewellen at 864-224-6872 or Jimmy Brock at 864-314-8170.