Washington, D.C. – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has announced The Wall That Heals national tour schedule for 2020. The Wall That Heals exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center. The 25th season of The Wall That Heals will begin on February 20, 2020 in Marco Island, Florida and visit 35 communities during the year. Three of the stops will take place in North Carolina including Garner, New Bern and Charlotte.
The traveling exhibit 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 58,276 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
“We received 116 applications to host The Wall That Heals in 2020 and we are excited to announce the cities that we’ve selected as hosts for our 25th touring season. The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit replicates The Wall experience in Washington, D.C. and provides veterans and their family members the chance to experience The Wall in their own community,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. “Hosting the exhibit provides the opportunity to honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed and offers an educational experience for visitors on the impact of the Vietnam War on America.”
The Wall That Heals 2020 Tour dates include:
- Marco Island, Florida February 20 – February 23
- Garland, Texas February 27 – March 1
- Del Rio, Texas March 5 – March 8
- Ashland, Miss. March 12 – March 15
- Charlotte, N.C. March 19 – March 22
- New Bern, N.C. March 26 – March 29
- Boydton, Va. April 2 – April 5
- Garner, N.C. April 16 – April 19
- Tunkhannock, Pa. April 30 – May 3
- Belvidere, Ill. May 7 – May 10
- Findlay, Ohio May 14 – May 17
- Columbus, Ohio May 22 – May 25
- Riverview, Mich. May 28 – May 31
- Winchester, Ind. June 4 – June 7
- Harrison, Ohio June 11 – June 14
- Chisholm, Minn. June 25 – June 28
- Tama, Iowa July 2 – July 5
- Wheaton, Ill. July 9 – July 12
- Clinton Township, Mich. July 16 – July 19
- Bedford, Pa. July 23 – July 26
- Nahant, Mass. July 30 – August 2
- Norwalk, Conn. August 6 – August 9
- Champlain, N.Y. August 13 – August 16
- Townsend, Mass. August 20 – August 23
- Middletown, N.Y. August 27 – August 30
- Evansville, Ind. September 10 – September 13
- Marysville, Kansas September 17 – September 20
- Blackfoot, Idaho September 24 – September 27
- Longview, Wash. October 1- October 4
- La Pine, Oregon October 8 – October 11
- Corona, Calif. October 15 – October 18
- Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. October 29 – November 1
- Pinetop-Lakeside, Ariz. November 5 – November 8
- San Antonio, Texas November 12 – November 15
- Cabot, Ark. November 19 – November 22
The Wall That Heals is generously sponsored by USAA and transported thousands of miles across the country each year through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the trucking industry.
More than 300,000 people visited The Wall That Heals exhibit in 2019. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 600 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. The Wall That Heals is a program of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982. The Wall That Heals is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C. and includes the largest Wall replica that travels the country. Two VVMF staff members lead volunteers on site, educate visitors and students, and ensure the reflective atmosphere of The Wall.
About The Wall replica
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.
About the mobile Education Center
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 mobile Education Center exhibit includes: digital photo displays of “Hometown Heroes” – service members whose names are on The Wall that list their home of record within the area of a visit; digital photo displays of Vietnam veterans from the local area honored through VVMF’s In Memory program which honors veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died as a result of their service; 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 D.C.; a replica of the In Memory plaque; a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. 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.
About VVMF
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.
