NORTH AURORA — The Vietnam Moving Wall is gone from Aurora, packed up and headed home, waiting to be unveiled at further cities across the country next season. All of the mementos, however, have stayed behind in the loving care of the Catich family, who have cleaned and prepared the items for shipment to the Moving Wall headquarters in Michigan.

Sharon and Kent Catich of North Aurora are members of the Navy League and have a son who retired from the Air Force two years ago. They decided to be temporary keepers of the mementos.

Kent said when they were taking down the Wall after it was exhibited in Aurora, the Catich’s asked where the numerous flags, sculptures, letters, pins and photos were going.

“They said all of these things left behind travel with the wall. They were all wet from the snowstorm and morning dew. We said we’ll take them home to dry them off and clean it up before shipping it on,” said Kent, who is a retired electrician and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 461 member.

“We just wanted to help out and get involved and be patriotic,” he explained.

Sharon said all the little American flags left stuck in the ground were stuffed in a big cardboard box.

“It was a mess, there wasn’t any order to it,” she said.

After she cleaned each flag, as well as running an iron over each one, they looked as good as new. The family held a small exhibition in their home Nov. 16 to show the Moving Wall Committee members all of the items.

“It’s wonderful to see all of these items dried out and looking great — to be able to touch them and read what family members wrote and even the letters that soldiers wrote home, it’s wonderful,” said Amy Roth, who served on the committee.

“When you see the items at the Wall, it’s almost too much to take in, the Wall is so emotional. To see them presented here is great,” Roth added.

The items will be shipped in a couple weeks to the Moving Wall headquarters, where the eventual plan is to build a permanent museum showcasing the items left at the Moving Wall since it was created in 1984.

The objects left in Aurora range from an American Eagle statue, to a can of Coke, a box of Twinkies, playing cards, shell casings, wood cutouts, crosses, and whiskey bottles.

Sharon Catich said the whiskey was picked up before she got all the items, probably because of its over-21 only necessity.

“I bought a new box of Twinkies, the original was too waterlogged,” said Sharon. “The whiskey bottles disappeared before the final takedown of the Wall,” said Sharon.

The items carried much emotion for committee member Chris Goerlich Weber.

“The emotion has definitely intensified now. At the Wall, the actual monument overshadows these items.

“Here, you can take your time, see what people wrote. I’m experiencing a sense of withdrawal from the Wall. It was such an experience for us to plan this big event, this is like a closing ceremony of its own. It’s a privilege,” Goerlich Weber said of the experience.