Vietnam vets memorial 'Wall that Heals' arrives in Rhinelander

Dave Melancon photo

For the Star Journal

RHINELANDER – Veterans, vets organizations and local law enforcement escorted The Wall that Heals into town Tuesday morning. The Wall display will be assembled at the Nicolet College field tomorrow, to be available to the public for free viewing 24-hours a day May 18-21.

The Wall is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile education center. It honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58, 281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

According to information on the Nicolet College website, 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; 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.

Dave Melacon photos.