The Wall That Heals
Oct 3th - Oct 6, 2019
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7234 in Ocean View De

PRESS RELEASE

DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT
THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL REPLICA AND MOBILE EDUCATION CENTER

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7234 in Ocean View has invited the public to visit “The Wall That Heals”, a large-scale travelling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC and a companion mobile education center, during a special exhibit at the Post from October 3 to 6. The Post is located at 29265 Marshy Hope Way (2 miles north of Fred Hudson, at the end of Cedar Neck Rd.) in Ocean View.

The Wall in Washington DC was designed as a memorial to the service and sacrifice of each and every one of the more than 58,000 American military service members who died or were declared missing in the Vietnam War, with every individual name etched on the black granite wall panels.

Almost as soon as it was dedicated in 1982, the Wall became a site of national and individual healing and reconciliation. And so it has continued for many veterans and the friends and family members of those whose names are listed on the Wall. But the Wall draws in others from far and wide and affects them all. It is now one of the most famous memorials in the United States, visited by more than 3 million people every year. Emotion and attraction aside, the Wall is also widely acclaimed as an architectural work-of-art, ranked tenth on “The List of America’s Favorite Architecture,” by the American Institute of Architects.

The travelling “Wall That Heals” replica was created by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund organization, founders of the Wall in DC, to bring this national heritage memorial to communities throughout the United States. It’s an exact, thee-quarter scale replica, 375 feet in length and over 7 feet high at its tallest point. Commenting on the scheduled arrival of the memorial in Ocean View and the work and expense involved, VFW Post Commander, Dean Levering, emphasized that it’s an honor for the Post to bring the exhibit to all the people in our area.

The exhibit at the VFW Post will be the centerpiece of a 3-day program to honor all those listed on the Wall, surviving spouses and Gold Star families. The Post has announced a schedule of program events, to include:

• The Opening Ceremony on Thursday, October 3, at 4:00 PM;
• A Candlelight Ceremony on Friday, October 4, at 7:00 PM;
• Ceremony honoring service, valor and sacrifice on Saturday, October 5, at 11:00 AM; and
• The Closing Ceremony on Sunday, October 6, at 1:00 PM.

The public is welcome to attend all those events. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies are expected to be less than an hour each in length; the Candlelight Ceremony about one hour; and the Honoring Vietnam Service less than two hours.Visit the Post website at www.vfw7234.com/twth for more details. >Because of the expanse of the Wall and information center, parking at the Post for the program events is going to be very limited. The Post has advised that there will be free parking available off-site at the G&E hardware store parking lot and the James Farm parking lot, both on Cedar Neck Road in Ocean View. Transportation will be provided from those satellite locations to the Post. Handicapped parking will be available at the Post.

Except during the program events, there will be ample opportunity for quiet personal visits. The exhibit will be open 24 hours a day from midnight on October 3 until 3:00 PM on October 6. Information and assistance will be available for those who want to locate particular names on the Wall panels.

For all those in our wide-area community who have not visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC and even for those who have, the exhibit at VFW Post 7234 will provide a meaningful opportunity to experience, for the first time or once again, the profound sense of individual service and sacrifice the memorial represents in our nation’s history. It is an opportunity not to be missed.

Jerry Hardiman
VFW Post 7234

For more information, visit the Post website at VFW7234.com/twth or contact Fulton Loppatto, Adjutant, by email at twth@vfw7234.com.

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