Bellingham welcoming Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica wall
BELLINGHAM — The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is coming to Bellingham this summer.
The town is anticipating hundreds of visitors to The Wall daily while it is on display Aug. 22-25 at the Bellingham High School baseball field on Blackstone Street. The Wall will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public.
The Bellingham stop is one of two in Massachusetts on the tour schedule this year and one of only three stops in New England. The Bellingham Memorial and
Veterans Day Committee is hosting the Bellingham visit.
In addition to The Wall That Heals, there will be a mobile education center and information tent. Information cases in the education center display photos of service members whose names are found on The Wall, along with letters and memorabilia left at memorial in Washington. The center also includes a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the conflict in Vietnam. The exhibits in the center tell the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall, the era surrounding the conflict, and are designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.
“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 more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam,” noted Jim Hastings, chairman of the Bellingham Memorial & Veterans Day Committee.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in our nation’s capital, with more than 5.3 million visitors each year. However, many Americans have not been able to visit what has become known to many as “The Wall.” The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the organization that built The Wall in 1982, wants to give all veterans and their family members across America an opportunity to see the Memorial through The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit.
“VVMF is pleased to bring The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit to Bellingham to allow local veterans and their family members a chance to visit The Wall and honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. “We hope it provides an opportunity for healing and an educational experience for the whole community on the impact of the Vietnam War on America.”
Nearly 400,000 people visited an all-new The Wall That Heals exhibit in 2018. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in more than 500 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. Hosting The Wall That Heals provides a community with a multi-day experience that includes an educational experience for local schools and organizations on the history of the Vietnam era and The Wall.
VVMF coordinates local stops of The Wall That Heals and the accompanying mobile Education Center. The 2019 national The Wall That Heals tour is hauled through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the trucking industry and sponsored by USAA. The local sponsor in Bellingham is the Bellingham 300th Anniversary Committee.
The three-quarter scale Wall replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. With the replica at this size, visitors are able to experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in D.C.
Like the original Memorial, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall. The names are listed in order of date of casualty and alphabetically on each day. Beginning at the center/ apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex. The first and last casualties are side by side at the apex of the Memorial.
The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 144 individual panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Modern LED lighting from the top of The Wall provides readability of The Wall at night.
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 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) 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.