Spreading the healing legacy and the impact of the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Replica Wall, The Wall That Heals, and Mobile Education Center will be coming to Brighton Sept. 2 - 5, 2021. The Wall will be located at Carmichael Park (650 Southern St.) and will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public. In order to make this event a success, the City of Brighton is seeking approximately 150-200 volunteers.
The Wall must be staffed 24-hours a day while open to the public. The City is seeking volunteers for shifts beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 5. Volunteers will assist with helping to set up The Wall upon its arrival, greeting visitors, answering questions about The Wall, helping to find names engraved on the panels, and providing historical context about The Wall and the Vietnam War.
In order to be well prepared to work with veterans and the public, all volunteers must attend a training session on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Those interested in volunteering are asked to complete the online interest submission form. COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions in place at the time of the event will be followed.
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 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The three-quarter scale Wall replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors will 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. Visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names 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 as a result of their service; 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.
Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 700 U.S. communities 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. More information can be found at: www.thewallthatheals.org.
For more information about the City of Brighton event, visit www.brightonco.gov/thewallthatheals.
About VVMF
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C. in 1982. VVMF continues to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families. VVMF’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era through programs, ceremonies and education materials. To learn more about VVMF, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.