BY: MACKENZIE FLOREEN
Accompanying The Wall That Heals this September is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) Mobile Education Center. This education visitor experience is oriented around several additional projects the VVMF has accomplished in honor of Vietnam veterans. The 53-foot trailer that transports The Wall from community to community converts into a hub for learning all about the Vietnam War Era.
Visitors will be able to experience the Hometown Heroes initiative, in which they can view the photos of Vietnam veterans local to the Kutztown area. The photos are provided by the VVMF’s The Wall of Faces program which aims to place a face to every name engraved on The Wall. Another activity that will be available for visitors to experience is the In Memory Honor Roll, where you can view photos of servicemembers who returned home after the Vietnam War but later dies from reasons relating to their time in the service; the display offers digital photos of honorees from the specific state The Wall is being hosted by.
In addition to the In Memory Honor Roll, the Mobile Education Center displays a replica of the In Memory plaque that is displayed on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.—the plaque reads “In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”
The Items Left Behind the display is dedicated to showcasing items that have been left at the original memorial in Washington, D.C. You can view care packages, mementos, and memorabilia that have been left behind in remembrance and dedication to Vietnam veterans. The Mobile Education Center also provides a map of Vietnam as well as a timeline of the Vietnam War and the construction of The Wall. An additional display of The Wall That Heals is The Gold Star Bike, which was previously donated by the American Gold Star Mothers in 2012 to honor the mothers who lost their sons and daughters to the Vietnam War.
To learn more about what will be
offered during The Wall That Heals stay in Kutztown, please visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s webpage on the replica and the Mobile Education Center. Preview items that will be on display, view photos and make connections through The Wall of Faces forum and hear about visitor experiences of The Wall’s previous destinations. The KCP is thrilled to bring this opportunity to the Kutztown community alongside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Kutztown Vietnam Veterans Breakfast Club.
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