The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Chamberlain on Aug. 9-13 at the Chamberlain Rest Area and Information Center (I-90 Exit 264) and will be open 24-hours a day and free to the public. The Wall That Heals 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 more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in our nation’s capital, with more than 5.6 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 (VVMF), the organization that built The Wall in 1982, 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, president and CEO of VVMF. “It helps veterans from all of America’s conflicts to find healing and a powerful connection through their common military experiences.”
South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) is the coordinating host for this stop on the national tour. Julie Overgaard, SDPB Executive Director, said more than 200 volunteers are assisting with the project and will be staffing the exhibit, providing education and directing visitors to names.
“The Wall That Heals is on display during Bike Week and will be available for visitors from South Dakota and across the nation who are visiting our state for the Sturgis Rally,” Overgaard said. “Nearly $10,000 was raised from supporters across the state, including Scull Construction Service, Inc., to support this activity.”
More than 200,000 people visited The Wall That Heals in 2016. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 500 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 includes The Wall replica and a mobile Education Center comprised of: digital displays of photos of service members whose names are on The Wall; letters and memorabilia left at The Wall in D.C.; 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.
SDPB’s hosting of The Wall That Heals is being done in conjunction with the documentary THE VIETNAM WAR, a 10-part film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that will air in September on SDPB and PBS stations nationally. THE VIETNAM WAR tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. It premieres Sunday, September 17 on SDPB.
VVMF coordinates local stops of The Wall That Heals and the accompanying mobile Education Center. The current schedule and more information can be found at: www.thewallthatheals.org. The 2017 national The Wall That Heals tour is hauled through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and generously sponsored by: USAA, PBS, and GEICO. Local sponsors are Scull Construction Service, Inc. and Friends of SDPB.
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