Only 40 sites nationwide are chosen to host the wall each year from over 100 applicants.
This year features a newly constructed replica. The new wall is a three-quarters scale
version of the memorial. It is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet
high at its tallest point. Visitors will
be able to experience the wall rising above them as they walk towards
the apex, a key feature of the design of the actual memorial in Washington D.C.
For the
first time, visitors of the replica will be
able to do name rubbings of individual service members’ names on the wall.
The memorial honors more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War and bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during the conflict.
“As a Paducah Vietnam veteran who made it safely back home, it is an honor and a privilege to welcome The Wall That Heals to Paducah as we remember those who did not make it home. I am thrilled and honored to be of service once again,” states Robert Worden, Department Service Officer for the Disabled American Veterans.
The Wall That Heals also comes equipped
with a mobile Education Center that will be utilized by area schools
for field trips. The mobile Education Center is comprised of 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; and 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 will teach about the history and impact of the memorial itself, and of the collection of items left at The Wall in Washington D.C. Other educational exhibits include a map of
Vietnam and a chronological overview of the war.
The Wall That Heals is being brought to the community by Milner & Orr Funeral Home. As part of their mission to “Honor Lives,” Milner & Orr Funeral Home believes The Wall honors communities, honors veterans and honors lives.
