The Wall That Heals at Rice Elementary School This Weekend

(KNSI) – Flanked by law enforcement officials and a host of motorcycles, The Wall That Heals made its way to Rice Elementary School on Tuesday.

The Wall That Heals is a traveling three-quarter-scale replica of the wall in Washington, D.C. It’s 375 feet long and at its highest point is seven and a half feet tall. It’s made of synthetic granite and allows for people to do charcoal rubbings of names. There are 58,000 names laser engraved on the 140 numbered panels.

As part of the display is a mobile education center designed to allow people to pay their respects and shows the public about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the collection of items left at The Wall in Washington. There is also a map of Vietnam, a timeline of the Vietnam War and The Wall, and a Gold Star Bike donated by the Gold Star Mothers group in 2012 and pays tribute to the mothers who lost sons to the Vietnam War.

Cora Martin is the event coordinator in charge of bringing the wall here, and for her, this is a deeply personal undertaking.

“My dad was a Navy veteran. He had told me stories about coming home and not being welcomed and spit on when he came home. I remember the last thing that my dad had always told me is to always teach people about what happened in Vietnam. Don’t let it ever go in the dark.”

A welcome home ceremony is scheduled for 6:00 Thursday evening with a candlelight vigil Friday at 8:30 p.m. The Wall That Heals will be open 24 hours a day until the closing ceremony with Taps at 2:00 p.m. Sunday.

Keep up to date with the events by clicking here.

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