A traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall exhibit is coming to Lake Pleasant. Here's when

Dylan Wickman, Arizona Republic
Updated ·3 min read

The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, coupled with a mobile education center, is coming in April to Plesant Harbour of Peoria's Lake Pleasant and will be open 24 hours a day to the public for free.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that first unveiled the replica in 1996, announced that it will make a stop in Lake Pleasant on April 11-14 and will be located at 8708 W. Harbor Blvd. The Wall That Heals is meant to honor more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the nearly 20-year-long Vietnam War and is engraved with the names of 58,281 men and women who died for their country in Vietnam.

A hand gliding across the names of the fallen Vietnam Soldiers of the Wall That Heals.
A hand gliding across the names of the fallen Vietnam Soldiers of the Wall That Heals.

The wall replica stands 7.5 feet high and is 375 feet wide. It is transported and housed in a 53-foot trailer that travels from community to community. It is currently en route to Baldwin Park, California, after making a stop in Wailuku, Hawaii.

When parked, the trailer opens up and turns into a mobile education center with multiple exhibits on its side that tell the story of the Vietnam War and the wall. One of the sides of the education center includes a digital photo display of "Hometown Heroes," people who lived in the area that have their names marked on the wall. There is also a digital photo display honoring veterans who came back home from Vietnam and later died. Families can apply to have their veteran included on these displays by visiting VVMF's website.

The education center also includes video displays that teach about the history and impact of the wall, educational exhibits told through items representative of those left at The Wall in Washington, D.C., a replica of the "In Memory" plaque, a map of Vietnam, and a chronological timeline of the war. The exhibits aim to tell the story of the controversial conflict and American experiences in a historical and cultural context. Visitors are also able to do rubbings of individual service member's names on The Wall.

“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is pleased to bring 'The Wall That Heals' mobile exhibit to Pleasant Harbor in Peoria, AZ to allow local veterans and their family members a chance to experience The Wall,” said Jim Knotts, president, and CEO of VVMF. “Hosting 'The Wall That Heals' provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America.”

The Wall That Heals has been displayed in more than 700 U.S. communities since its debut in 1996, including a 1999 tour of the four provinces of Ireland and a 2005 trip to Canada. It is the largest replica of The Wall in Washington, D.C., which was built by VVMF in 1982, and is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with the wall. More information about the exhibit can be found on VVMF's website.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall coming to Arizona