Morgan County has been selected as the only county in Indiana with the privilege of hosting the Wall that Heals in 2024. The display will be viewable August 15-18 at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. The Wall That Heals features a three-quarter scale replica of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and a mobile education center, designed to travel to communities throughout the country. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial's healing legacy to millions who aren't able to travel to see the original in Washington D.C.
About the Wall That Heals:
This is the 29th season of the traveling exhibit The Wall That Heals, and this year's tour began in January in Hilo, Hawaii and will visit a total of 31 communities throughout the year. Morgan County is proud to be one of this year's exhibit locations. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation. We invite you to come experience this unique exhibit, a powerful experience for veterans, their families, and the next generation to learn about how the Vietnam era left its mark on the American national psyche. The Wall That Heals provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to visit The Wall in Washington D.C. to find the strength and courage to do so within their own Communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin. In addition, the traveling exhibit allows the souls represented on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings.
The three--quarter scale replica of The Wall that will be erected at the Morgan County Fairgrounds is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its highest point and will be open to visitors 24 hours per day during its visit. Visitors experience The Wall rising above them as they walk toward the apex, a key feature of the original design of The Wall in Washington, D.C. Like the original, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors can do name rubbings of individual service members' names that appear on the wall. The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 140 numbered panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Machine engravings of the more than 58,000 names along with modern LED lighting provide readability of The Wall, day and night. As on the wall, the names of service members are listed by date of casualty. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right hand side), working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left hand site) and working their way back to the center, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center of the wall.
The Mobile Education Center:
The Mobile Education Center that travels with the wall features a timeline of "The War and The Wall" and provides additional information about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.. Additional Exhibits give visitors a better understanding of the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the collection of items left at The Wall. Displays include the following:
Hometown Heroes - photos of service members listed on The Wall, who list their home of record from the local area.
In Memory Honor Roll - photos of local Vietnam veterans who returned home and later died. These photos are of the In Memory honorees from the state where the exhibit is on display, in this case, those from Indiana.
A replica of the In Memory plaque that resides on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C. and 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."
Items Left Behind - displays of items representative of those left at The Wall in Washington, D.C. in remembrance of those on The Wall.
Map of Vietnam - to provide a geographical understanding of the war.
Timeline of The War and The Wall - to better understand the historic significance of both the war and the memorial.
The Gold Star Bike - donated to the VVMF by the American Gold Star Mothers in 2012, this Softail Custom Harley-Davidson pays tribute to the mothers who lost sons to the Vietnam War.
Nearly three million Americans served in Vietnam and more than 58,000 have their names inscribed on the wall. Behind each and every name inscribed on the wall is a life cut short and a family changed forever. The history, symbolism, and power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has played a part in the healing journey of countless veterans, their families, friends and others. This replica is the only one created by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which has a partnership with the National Park Service to provide for the majority of expenses in caring for the memorial site in Washington DC. Learn more about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the traveling exhibit The Wall That Heals at www.vvmf.org.
Morgan County Schedule:
At approximately 11:30 am on Tuesday, August 13, the escort for the Wall That Heals will begin to gather at the Mooresville Town Center Shopping Center. Between 3 and 3:30 pm, the truck carrying The Wall will leave the shopping center parking lot on its escorted trip to Martinsville, traveling south on State Road 67 to the State Road 39 Bypass, then turning onto Morgan Street. Those in the area are encouraged to line up along Morgan Street and watch for their "Flag Ambassadors" who will be passing out American flags to help welcome The Wall as it comes into town.
On Wednesday, August 14, the The Wall will be assembled at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. Assembly will begin at 9 am with an army of volunteers. The public is welcome to come and view the set up process, which will take several hours. As soon as the first panel is set, The Wall will be officially open to the public, 24 hours per day. Taps will be played each evening at the 7th bell (7 pm) by the Indiana Spirit of '45.
On Thursday, August 15, there will be an official Opening Ceremony with special guests Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and US Medal of Honor Recipient Sammy Davis. Mr. Davis, a native of Morgan County whose Medal of Honor award ceremony footage was used in the making of the film Forest Gump, will be holding a book signing at the 4-H Auditorium after the ceremony.
On Friday, August 16, there will be an Agent Orange Candlelight Ceremony at 9:30 pm. This ceremony specifically honors veterans who served an suffered the effects of the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The general public is welcome to attend.
On Saturday, August 17, there will be a Vietnam Gold Star Family Reception beginning at 7 pm. This special reception is specifically for the families of the soldiers on The Wall that hailed from Morgan County. Family members may contact Janice Bolinger for more information or to RSVP.
There will be a Closing Ceremony and dove release at the end of the exhibition period that will be held on Sunday, August 18, beginning at 2 pm.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Join the local committee that has worked to bring this exhibit to Morgan County by signing up for one of several volunteer opportunities during the wall's visit. A few spaces are still available for volunteers to sign up to help with various duties, such as set up and/or tear down of the exhibit itself, welcoming visitors to the exhibit, serving as wall attendants during the exhibit, or even driving a golf cart for those who need a bit of help getting to the wall. Check out the various volunteer opportunities still available at thewallthathealscomestomorgancounty.org. These opportunities are open to both locals and those from outside the community who may wish to be involved. There are a number of veterans who travel to nearby communities to volunteer for this unique event year after year to share their stories and experiences with fellow veterans and the general public, and we welcome all who may be interested.
