You are invited to welcome The Wall That Heals by lining the streets of the arrival route. The exhibit will enter Garland at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, and make its way to Audubon Park. View a map of the arrival route (PDF).
There will be a special Welcome Home Ceremony at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. This event gives us the chance to welcome The Wall That Heals to Garland and North Texas, as well as honor those who served in Vietnam and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Garland Thursday, Feb. 27, through Sunday, March 1. The exhibit will be on display at Audubon Park, 342 West Oates Road, and will be open 24 hours a day, free to the public. The city of Garland and Visit Garland are leading the effort that will bring the exhibit to the metroplex. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the 58,276 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is pleased to bring The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit to Garland to allow local veterans and their family members a chance to experience The Wall and honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. “Hosting The Wall That Heals provides an opportunity for healing and educational experience for visitors on the impact of the Vietnam War on America.”
“We are honored to be given the privilege of hosting The Wall That Heals and to have the opportunity to learn more about that part of our nation’s history,” said Garland Mayor Scott LeMay. “We look forward to hosting visitors from all over the region as they remember those who died in Vietnam, and honor those who came home.”
Community support is needed to bring The Wall That Heals to Garland. More than 100 volunteers will be needed to set up and take down the replica Wall, staff the exhibit and guide visitors 24 hours a day. Financial and in-kind donations are also needed to help support this community event. To learn more about how you can help the effort, visit bit.ly/TWTHgarland.
School and youth groups are encouraged to visit The Wall That Heals. Trained staff from VVMF will be on-site to provide free educational tours of the exhibits. Tours can be customized based on ages so visitors can learn about the history of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, hear stories of those who served in Vietnam and learn about the impact of the Vietnam War on America.
About The Wall That Heals: The Wall That Heals is transported from community to community in a 53-foot trailer. When parked, the trailer opens with exhibits built into its sides, allowing it to serve as a mobile Education Center telling the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the divisive era in American history.
The three-quarter scale Wall replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors will experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in D.C. Visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall.
The mobile Education Center displays includes digital photo displays of “Hometown Heroes” – service members whose names are on The Wall that list their home of record within the area of a visit and the “In Memory Honor Roll” – Vietnam veterans from the local area honored through VVMF’s In Memory program which honors veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died as a result of their service. A display of items representative of those left at The Wall in D.C. tells the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the era surrounding the conflict.
The 2020 national The Wall That Heals tour is generously sponsored by USAA and transported thousands of miles across the country each year through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association and the trucking industry.
More than 300,000 people visited The Wall That Heals in 2019. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 600 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. The Wall That Heals is a program of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982. The Wall That Heals is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C. and includes the largest Wall replica that travels the country. Two VVMF staff members lead volunteers on site, educate visitors and students, and ensure the reflective atmosphere of The Wall. More information can be found at thewallthatheals.org.
About VVMF: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C., in 1982. VVMF continues to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families. VVMF’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era through programs, ceremonies and education materials. To learn more, visit vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.
Information and photo provided by city of Garland.