When the 53-foot trailer truck carrying the three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, called “The Wall that Heals,” arrived in Menifee Tuesday, April 4, there were many veterans, city officials and residents out to greet it, including Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1956 members.
The traveling memorial, now open to the public, leads the way in paying tribute to Vietnam veterans and their families at Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park and Mortuary at 26770 Murrieta Road in Menifee. The memorial was opened and set up by many volunteers in the Menifee community who are hosting the exhibit. It is an Education Center and is open 24 hours a day and free to the public until Sunday, April 9, at 2 p.m.
The Wall That Heals honors more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is pleased to bring The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit to Menifee to allow local veterans and their family members a chance to experience The Wall,” Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF, said. “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 replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors can experience The Wall rising above them as they walk toward the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in Washington D.C. Visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service members’ names that are inscribed on The Wall.
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.
“Menifee is honored to host The Wall That Heals and provide an opportunity for the region to recognize our military veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War,” Menifee Councilmember Dean Deines, a veteran himself, said. “We are very thankful to Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park and Mortuary and Menifee VFW Post 1956 for helping bring this important exhibit to our community.”
The Wall That Heals 2023 national tour is generously sponsored by USAA. Through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), the trucking industry, and Blue Beacon, the exhibit is able to travel across the country. The local exhibit in Menifee is a coordinated partnership between Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park and Mortuary, the City of Menifee and Menifee VFW Post 1956.
Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in more than 700 U.S. communities including Temecula, 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.
For more information, please visit www.cityofmenifee.us/wallthatheals.
