Vietnam Veterans Memorial Replica Comes To Woodstock

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will soon make an appearance in Woodstock.

The replica, along with a mobile education center, will be situated at Arnold Mill Elementary School Nov. 16-20, allowing the public to view the memorial at no charge.

The Cherokee County School District said the wall is expected to arrive on campus, with a Patriot Guard and Warrior Watch escort, at approximately 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16.

A media briefing is planned for 11 a.m., and the Wall then will be erected over the course of four hours.

An official welcome ceremony will be presented by the school at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17. The display then will be open to the public through 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.

The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, and its walls bear the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the most visited memorial in our nation’s capital, with more than four 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, the organization that built The Wall, wants to give all veterans and their family members all across America an opportunity to see the memorial.

“Taking The Wall That Heals on the road gives thousands more veterans and their family members an opportunity to see The Wall and honor those who have served and sacrificed so much,” said Jim Knotts, CEO of the foundation. “It helps veterans from all of America’s conflicts to find healing and a powerful connection through their common military experiences.”

The replica wall is roughly 250 feet in length and like the original Memorial, is erected in a chevron-shape. The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels, each containing six columns of names.

The names on The Wall That Heals replicate the names on The Wall in Washington, D.C. As on The Wall, the names are listed alphabetically by day of casualty. Beginning at the center, 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.

Thus, the beginning and ending of the conflict are joined at the center, signifying an epoch in American history.

Since its debut in 1996, more than two million people have visited The Wall That Heals sites. It has made stops in nearly 400 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.

The exhibit's mobile education center will be comprised of photos of service members whose names are found on The Wall; letters and memorabilia left at The Wall in D.C.; a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the conflict in Vietnam. The exhibits tell the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the era surrounding the conflict, and are designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.

Arnold Mill Elementary School is located at 710 Arnold Mill Road.

For more information, contact Daniel Fuller at daniel.fuller@cherokee.k12.ga.us.

---

Images via Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund