MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — Minnesotans will have an opportunity to pay tribute to American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, as a traveling memorial to the Vietnam War returns to the state this Memorial Day weekend.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as well as a mobile education center, will be on display at Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights starting Friday, May 26 through Memorial Day.
The exhibit is free to visit and will be open 24 hours a day.
“It is an honor and privilege for Saint Thomas Academy to host The Wall That Heals,” said ret. Col. Neil Hetherington, commandant of cadets at Saint Thomas Academy. “Through this display, thousands of people - including Saint Thomas Academy cadets - will learn more about the Vietnam War and the sacrifice of our military personnel. Equally important, the display can help bring healing to our service members who carry deep emotional scars from serving in Vietnam.”
The Wall That Heals pays tribute to more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War. The wall itself includes the names of the 58,281 men and women who died while serving in the war.
Much like the full memorial in Washington, DC, visitors are invited to do rubbings of the names etched in the Wall.
The traveling memorial was first put on display in 1996, and have traveled to more than 700 communities across the United States, as well as exhibitions in Canada and Europe.
More information about The Wall That Heals can be found online.
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