Never forget: Vietnam Traveling Wall in Fort Myers through Sunday

Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·2 min read

One month ahead of Memorial Day, those honoring slain Vietnam War and other U.S. veterans are heading to Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers.

Through Sunday, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and Cost of Freedom display are at the park, 7330 Gladiolus Drive. The wall serves as a tribute, etched with the names of more than 58,000 fallen American heroes.

Bob Sheehan, director of outreach operations for Hope Hospice, helped spearhead the effort to bring the wall to Fort Myers. A Vietnam War-era veteran, he's visited the original in Washington, D.C., many times, he said, taking a minute to gather his thoughts when asked about bringing the replica to Southwest Florida.

Visitors take in the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The display is open to the public through Sunday evening at dusk.
Visitors take in the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The display is open to the public through Sunday evening at dusk.

"I'm proud of our country; proud of our military," he said, thinking of those who he knew and whose names are on the wall. "All the men and women, the sacrifice. They are the true heroes. Never forget, never forget those who didn’t come home."

The 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the wall measures nearly 400 feet long. The Cost of Freedom Tribute includes panels honoring American sacrifices in conflicts through the 20th and 21st centuries, including World Wars 1 and 11, the Korean War, 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Wes Shivers from the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display places American flags on the Vietnam wall replica at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The display is open to the public through Sunday evening at dusk.
Wes Shivers from the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display places American flags on the Vietnam wall replica at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The display is open to the public through Sunday evening at dusk.

Sheehan said the wall arrived Wednesday with a full escort of veterans and officers; many of whom stayed to connect the displays.

Hope Healthcare and Chapters Health brought the traveling exhibit to Southwest Florida. The traveling exhibit is to give those who can't travel to the original site, a chance to pay tribute.

Sheehan, a proud military dad to an Army major son, was happy to bring the memorial to Fort Myers. His son, with 20 years in, is based in Washington, and assigned as an air defense officer keeping the capital safe.

Robert Griffith, an Army veteran pays his respects to a friend and Marine who was killed in the Vietnam war. He and his wife were visiting the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
Robert Griffith, an Army veteran pays his respects to a friend and Marine who was killed in the Vietnam war. He and his wife were visiting the Vietnam Traveling Wall and Cost of Freedom display at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

"It's touching to me he’s there with the original wall and guarding that area," while the replica is here, he said.

The exhibit is free and open during park hours. For those who visit the exhibit, parking is waived, Sheehan said.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Vietnam Traveling Wall at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers