Mobile Vietnam Wall to go on display in Blythewood

To commemorate Memorial Day, “The Wall that Heals” – a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. – will be on round-the-clock display in Blythewood.

The Blythewood Historical Society and the Town of Blythewood are hosting the display in Doko Meadows Park, next to Blythewood Town Hall, 171 Langford Road. Volunteers will be on hand constantly from it’s opening Friday through Monday to assist visitors in locating the names of friends and loved ones.

The display is a 250-foot portable replica of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It features the names of more than 58,000 men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam conflict.

The exhibit, an outreach program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation, also includes an education center where visitors can learn more about the Americans who served in the Vietnam War.

The display was unveiled on Veterans Day 1996. It was designed to travel to communities throughout the United States.

Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has visited more than 400 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial’s healing legacy to millions, according to the foundation’s website.

“Bringing The Wall home to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings,”

The traveling exhibit provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, allowing the healing process to begin.

The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels

As on the original wall, the names on the mobile wall are listed by day of casualty. Beginning at the center, the names start on the right-hand side, or East Wing, working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the left-hand side, or West Wing, and working their way back in to the center, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center.

The exterior sides of the trailer that carries the mobile wall open to become a mobile education center. Information cases display photos of service members whose names are found on The Wall, along with letters and memorabilia left at the memorial at Washington, D.C. The museum also includes a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the conflict.

Entrance to the display and education are free.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 4:30 PM.