May 4, 2023 at 1:57 p.m.
The Wall That Heals processional set for May 16
The Wall That Heals processional set for May 16
The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War, and it bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. The Wall That Heals is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
"Nicolet College is honored to have been selected to host The Wall That Heals," Casey Lehmann, Nicolet Financial Aid advisor and site coordinator, said in a press release outlining the events associated with the exhibit's visit. "We are excited to share this wonderful event with the entire Nicolet College community and all Northwoods residents."
Lehmann submitted Nicolet's application to host the exhibit. Nationally, more than 100 other entities also submitted applications, with 31 selected.
The processional onto campus will start at noon, Tuesday, May 16, at the Northwood Golf Club and then travel into Rhinelander along Hwy. 8 and Kemp Street.
It will then turn south at Pioneer Park on Oneida Ave. for the final leg to campus.
"During the processional we encourage everyone to come out and line the streets to see and honor The Wall That Heals as it heads to Nicolet," Lehmann said. The event will also include a motorcycle processional led by the American Legion Riders out of Lake Tomahawk with other local clubs and riders joining in as well.
The installation will be assembled in the field at Nicolet near the Northwoods Community Garden on Wednesday, May 17.
The exhibit will officially open to the public on Thursday, May 18 and will be open all day. There will also be a Welcome Home Ceremony at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 18. Along with speakers, the Northwoods Honor Guard will conduct a Color Guard ceremony. Those who would like to sit during event are asked to bring a lawn chair. The ceremony will be no longer than one hour.
The Wall That Heals exhibit will then be open 24 hours a day Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20 and until 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 21.
Admission is free.
"We're encouraging people to come more than once, even at night," she said. "When you see it lit up at night it is really cool."
The exhibit will also include the In Memory Honor Roll display, honoring local Vietnam Veterans who died after returning home. Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. The In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized.
All veterans from Wisconsin honored through In Memory will have their photos and names on display as part of the mobile Education Center exhibit.
"We want to honor as many Vietnam Veterans from Wisconsin as possible," Lehmann noted.
As part of the In Memory Honor Roll, an online personal remembrance page is created for each honoree with their photo and biographical information. Family members can share the page and leave remembrances about their loved one. To see the Honor Roll, visit vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/.
"The impact of the Vietnam War stretches far beyond the 58,281 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. More than three million Americans served in Vietnam and an untold number of those who served have suffered from service-connected illnesses. No one knew that when the war ended, Vietnam veterans and their families would still be feeling the effects of their service more than 50 years later. In Memory is our way to honor these Vietnam veterans for the sacrifices they made," said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982 and manages The Wall That Heals and In Memory programs.
For more information on The Wall That Heals coming to Nicolet College, visit nicoletcollege.edu/community/community-events/wall-heals-3.
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