The Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation will host The Wall That Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 18 through 21. Free and open to the public, the exhibit will be available 24 hours a day beginning 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, through 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21.
The Wall That Heals 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 more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The public is invited to The Wall’s official Welcoming Ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. The service will take place in the vicinity of The Wall exhibit, which will be situated in the grassy field adjacent to the Joyner Park visitor parking lot.
One of the highlights of the Welcoming Ceremony promises to be a flyover by the Bandit Flight Team. Based in Raleigh, the Bandit Flight Team is a group of highly trained, experienced pilots that combine their love of flying with an appreciation for vintage military aircraft. The Bandits fly their aircraft to preserve the military Warbird heritage and as an opportunity to salute returning war veterans.
Wake Forest has the honor of being the only town in North Carolina scheduled to host the exhibit in 2018. And, Wake Forest will be among the first to host a new, larger exhibit, which includes a three-quarter scale Wall replica that is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. With the new replica at this size, 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 Wall in Washington, D.C.
This year, for the first time in the history of The Wall That Heals, visitors will be able to perform “name rubbings” of individual service member’s names on The Wall.
In addition to The Wall replica, the exhibit includes a Mobile Education Center comprised of 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. The Mobile Education Center also features 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 and the collection of items left at The Wall in D.C.; educational exhibits told through items in the collection; a map of Vietnam; and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War.
Residents throughout North Carolina and beyond are expected to visit The Wall That Heals (TWTH), including groups of school children, senior adults, veterans and others. TWTH Planning Committee wants to help ensure a positive experience for larger groups by encouraging them to provide advance notice of their visit. Groups of 10 or more are invited to provide such notice by completing and submitting the online form at www.wakeforestnc.gov/schedule-your-visit.aspx<http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/schedule-your-visit.aspx>. School groups are especially urged to register.
Groups that complete and submit the form will receive parking instructions, directions to Joyner Park, information about Wake Forest and more – prior to their visit. Please note: Advance notice by groups of 10 or more is requested, not required, and intended solely to help TWTH Planning Committee provide proper accommodations and ensure a positive experience.
Finally, volunteers are critical to the success of the event and needed at a variety of times. Volunteer duties will be general in nature and may include answering questions, helping visitors locate names on The Wall and providing parking direction and assistance. Volunteer positions will require both standing and walking, and all volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Anyone interested in volunteering may sign up online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/the-wall-that-heals.aspx<http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/the-wall-that-heals.aspx>.
A volunteer training session will be offered at Joyner Park on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. All volunteers are urged to attend.
For more information about The Wall That Heals in Wake Forest, including a complete schedule of events, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/the-wall-that-heals.aspx<http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/the-wall-that-heals.aspx> and “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/twthwakeforestnc/<http://www.facebook.com/twthwakeforestnc/>..
