Vietnam Veterans Memorial Replica To Open For Limited Time In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A smaller replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is coming to Alexandria along with several commemoration events over several days.

The Wall That Heals, which is a three-quarters scale Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica, will be open Wednesday through Sunday. It will be located on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and be open 24 hours a day over the five days.

The exhibit is organized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the nonprofit organization that constructed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC in 1982. The Wall That Heals is a traveling exhibit that started in 1996 and honors the more than 3 million Americans who served during the Vietnam War and 58,281 who died in the war. Since then, it has been displayed in nearly 800 U.S. communities, visited Ireland in 1999 and visited Canada in 2005.

"Since The Wall That Heals rarely comes to the greater D.C. area, this is a unique opportunity for visitors to see these displays with the photos of men and women from Virginia and Washington, D.C., who died during or after the war," said Cynthia Long, local host committee chair. "Moreover, while they may have been to The Wall downtown and seen things that have been left behind, it’s incredible to see examples of some of them firsthand."

The Wall That Heals travels between communities in a 53-foot trailer. When it is parked, the trailer opens with the replica wall and an education center telling the story of the Vietnam War and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. Visitors can see digital photo displays of "hometown heroes" who are on the memorial, digital photo displays of Vietnam veterans, video displays about the history and impact of the memorial, educational exhibits that evokes items left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C., a replica of the In Memory plaque, a map of Vietnam, and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. Visitors will be allowed to do name rubbings of individual service members’ names on replica memorial.

"The placement of The Wall That Heals on the north lawn of this wonderful site overlooking the Masonic National Memorial and Alexandria will perhaps be one of the most breathtaking locations among our 31 events this year," said Tim Tetz, site manager for The Wall That Heals. "Parks and athletic fields are nice, but I’m looking forward to seeing the Masonic Memorial tower and The Wall That Heals lit up each night."

The Wall That Heals will arrive at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial on Wednesday afternoon.

Here is the schedule of events:

• June 12, 5:30 p.m.: Opening ceremony
• June 12, 9 p.m.: Agent Orange Awareness candlelight event. Visitors will see the replica Wall and In Memory plaque lit with orange candlelight to bring light to those who died from a result of exposure and service in Vietnam.
• June 14, 10 a.m.: The annual In Memory ceremony will be held, honoring a record high 774 Vietnam veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died. More than 2,000 attendees are expected.
• June 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Father’s Day Rose Remembrance, with roses laid at The Wall That Heals and the In Memory plaque.
• June 15, 8:30 p.m.: Closing ceremony

Nearly 300 volunteers are needed to set up and break down the exhibit, as well as assist visitors with finding names. The organization hopes to have at least 160 volunteers for setup and 80 for packing it up to prepare for transport to its next event in Claremont, New Hampshire. Volunteers can sign up online.

"We hope for nearly 8,000 visitors, and their experience will be a direct result of our volunteers," said Long. "As a host, we’re responsible for finding 160 volunteers just to set-up and take down The Wall That Heals. An equal number will be necessary to assist visitors in finding names and better understand the exhibit as it’s open 24 hours each day."