Vietnam Memorial entrance sign (wings)

Geocaches, which are hidden containers and discovered by GPS-enabled devices, are secreted all across the world and are often put in amazing, special, and treasured places.  MysteriousWritings decided to start placing their own Trackables in some of these Caches and share their adventures here on the MW website.

Where might they take us?!  I love the suspense and mystery of where they might go, and will love learning and sharing about the different places they travel to.

MW Treasures’ first geocache trackable, named MW Treasures Explorer 1, was placed at the Vietnam Memorial in New Mexico.  This is a beautiful and heartwarming location along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  It is a treasured spot.  What a great place to start an adventure, and remember those who fought for our freedom to do so!

Poem inside visitor center at Vietnam Memorial State Park New Mexico

The Memorial was built soon after Victor and Jeanne Westphall learned that their son, David Westphall, was killed during an ambush in Vietnam.  Dr. Victor Westphall commented:

“When sons or daughters die in battle, parents are confronted with the choice of what they will do to honor the courage and sacrifice of that son or daughter. Following the death of our son, Victor David Westphall, on May 22, 1968, in Vietnam, we decided to build an enduring symbol of the tragedy and futility of war.”

Powerful words sharing an immense purpose.

The Memorial includes the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel as its most featured structure.  The Chapel is open 24 hours a day, every day.  This decision was made after a note was found on the locked door of the Chapel during the construction stage.   It read, “Why did you lock the doors when I needed to come in?” It’s not been locked since.

The Chapel is a place to sit for reflection and remembrance.  To find peace. To honor.  To heal. To strive to learn from the past, live in the present, and look to the future.

vietnam memorial chapel
Inside the Chapel (shape of wings)

There were tissue boxes on the seats.  It is difficult to visit these special places and not feel the emotions and passions for why and how they came to exist.  It is important to allow oneself to let these emotions be felt.  We are in this world together.

Also found on State Park grounds of the Vietnam Memorial is an Extraordinary visitor center offering historical displays and information on the Vietnam War, gift shop, a Huey Helicopter (a vital craft used in Vietnam), and a Veteran’s Memorial Walkway.

And the Geocache!  😊

I felt it a special privilege to place the first MW Treasures Trackable (Explorer I) inside its box and hope it has many adventures for us, here at MW, to share in!

 

vietnam memorial up on hill along enchanted circle in New Mexico
Vietnam Memorial on hill

(Soon to come… MW Treasures’ Trackable Explorer 2 story.  It too was placed in a wonderful starting location!)

(Geocache Trackables have Unique Codes to be logged in on Geocache sites in order to note its movements.  Other Geocachers work together to move the ‘Trackables’ from place to place according to the Trackable’s Goals.  MW Treasures Trackable Explorer 1 Goals are noted on site to be:  “Please take MW Treasures Explorer 1 to any new and thrilling place to Explore!  Please help place it in an active location, for each time it moves to a different and adventurous place, a post about the location will be written about on its own LOG PAGE at MysteriousWritings.com.  This website is dedicated to finding real life treasure, adventure, and mystery!    The MW Treasures Explorer 1 begins his adventure on 6/11/17!   Thanks so much! ))

 

 

12 Comments

  1. Hi Jenny.. I’m new to geocaching.. it sure looks exciting! I’m not sure how to start though.. can you help? do you have to have a specific geocache app? I installed what appears to be a mainstream one from geocaching.com . I click on trackable and it looks like I need a code.. I enter MW Treasures Explorer 1 but that doesn’t work.. nor does explorer 2.. ??? thanks in advance

    HT
    1. Hi HT…….I’m loving it, but I’m relatively new to it all too….however, yes, I downloaded the app from geocaching.com onto my iphone which works wonderful. You can go to ‘MAP’ on the phone app and it will list all geocaches able to be found in that area…. or you can search on main site for geocache locations.

      As for the Trackables– yes there is a code for the MW Treasure Explorer 1 and 2. I only placed them last weekend and these haven’t moved yet. People who find the caches, are to then take your trackable (if able to fulfill goals) and move them to another location and log them into a new location.

      I plan on releasing LOTs more, and even hiding some MW own Treasures Caches! It’s just neat to visit the various places and ‘find’ something to ‘log in’ and say you did. Some are simple, while others are more elaborate.

      I do plan on writing a more in depth post about geocaching on site when I get time….. and as I continue to learn more. But again, I’m enjoying discovering new locations for now.

      Just last night, because of the geocache placed there, we visited an old burial ground near where I live that I never knew existed. The cemetery with ‘Revolutionary war graves’ is hidden within a wooded area. It was amazing. I plan to place a ‘Trackable’ there to move on from there….I’ll be going back to do a video of all this…. so stay tuned!

      The codes to use for the MW Treasure Trackables so far are:

      TB7YE66

      and

      TB7YE6G

      Jennifer Kile
  2. Thanks for sharing this, Jenny.

    I would Love to visit there one day with my Family.

    Those places have such an incredible feeling of Peace and Reverence.

    I had the honor of visiting several times the WWII Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. It’s a beautiful place…made even more beautiful by honoring thousands of people who fought for Freedom.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_American_Cemetery

    I’m certain the feeling there in New Mexico at the Vietnam Memorial is the same.

    Peace…

    It seems…sadly…that it is only truly known…and Treasured…by those who have lived without it.

    JC1117
  3. I retrieved Explorer 2 and am catching up on some logs on the last day of the National Speleological Society annual convention at Rio Rancho, this past Friday. So, as mentioned in the retrieve log, it’s already in William Antrim country but need to log it with the Rio Rancho caches first. And then some adventure here at Fort Stanton, Capitan and Lincoln.

    Mike Bilbo
    1. Thanks Mike Bilbo! I still need to do a write up on Explorer 2, but so happy and excited that it is on the MOVE to some great adventures! Thanks for visiting the site and most of all for picking up and moving MW Treasures Explorer 2. So fun!

      I am so going to love these adventures from the ‘MW Explorers’! I have lots more trackables to ‘release’…..:)…. (and then write on the fascinating locations)

      Jennifer Kile

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