Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

76 / 178

| | 76
personal look at what it was like for
American crew members who played
a never-ending game of cat and mouse
with Soviet planes and submarines.
The lifelike naval officer is really a
hologram; the electronic equipment
was aboard the Laffey when it was
decommissioned for the final time in
1970, during the Cold War.
“It brings the ship to life,” said
Burdette. “You wouldn’t know what
you were looking at unless you
served in the Navy or watched a lot
of war movies.”
Technology also is the key to The
Vietnam Experience, a two-acre dis-
play that was torn down, rebuilt and
re-opened in 2014. When it is com-
pleted, it will feature a street scene
from downtown Saigon. Visitors
already can watch movies that delve
into the Tet Offensive, the Mekong
Delta and the Battle of Khe Sanh, and
they can listen to actual transmissions
from soldiers in helicopters, aboard
riverboats and in the field.
Burdette, an Army veteran himself,
is especially proud of a wall covered
with replicas of the dog tags of all the
South Carolina natives who made the
ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam and of
a “Huey” helicopter. After intensive
research, Burdette found that 21-year-
old Kenny Plavcon was a gunner
aboard that very chopper when he gave
his own young life to save American
soldiers on the ground. Nearly a half
century later, last year, his sister and
more than 200 helicopter crewmen
from all over the country gathered at
Patriots Point to commemorate his
bravery.
Virtually everything at Patriots
Point is connected in some way. War
is a main theme, of course, but more
than two decades after the Allies
defeated Germany and Japan, the
Yorktown stepped out of the realm of
battle and into the space race, retriev-
ing the Apollo 8 capsule and astro-
nauts Frank Borman, James Lovell
and William Anders from the Pacific
Ocean. A replica of that capsule is
aboard the Yorktown, and so is a 16-
seat theater where visitors can don 3D
goggles and take a trip to the end of
the solar system and beyond.
Burdette said the space program is
one of four options for campers who
spend two or more nights aboard the
Replicas of the dog tags of every South Carolina native who made the ultimate sacrifice hang
on a wall at the entrance of The Vietnam Experience.
Photo by Brian Sherman.
Cindy is a licensed massage
therapist and registered nurse.
Using her combined 25 plus years
of medical experience, she has
successfully integrated her knowl-
edge of pathology and assessment
to formulate treatment plans
specifically designed to meet her
clients needs.
Whether your needs require deep
tissue, neuromuscular techniques or
a relaxing maintenance massage for
overall health and wellness, Cindy
has the therapeutic solution.
Mention this ad for
$10.00 off
your first massage!
Call to schedule an appointment.
Historic OldVillage • 123 Pitt Street
Inside BioKare Health &Wellness Center
843.725.9210
T H e r a P y Massage
Therapeutic & Restorative
Cindy Livingston RN, LMT
STEP INTO
WELLNESS