A man touches a Vietnam veterans memorial replica wall Wednesday at Owens Community College in Findlay. The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, honors the more than 3 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. Visit www.sent-trib.com to watch a video.
J.D. Pooley | Sentinel-Tribune
FINDLAY — The Wall That Heals will be at the Findlay campus of Owens Community College this weekend.
The exhibit features a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point.
The Wall That Heals opened Thursday and will be open 24 hours a day until Sunday at 2 p.m. There is a POW/MIA ceremony planned for noon Saturday.
Like the original memorial, the Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors can do name rubbings of individual service members’ names. The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 140 numbered panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Machine engraving 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 on the Wall That Heals are listed by day of casualty. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the right side, working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the left side, and working their way back in to the center/apex, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center.
The 53-foot trailer that carries the Wall That Heals transforms to become a mobile Education Center. The exterior of the trailer 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.
Displays include Hometown Heroes – Photos of service members on the wall who list their home of record from the local area; and Items Left Behind – Displays of items representative of those left at The Wall in Washington, D.C. in remembrance of those on the wall.
It traveled to Findlay from New Castle, Delaware, and when it leaves, it will head to Belvidere, Illinois.
The college is located at 3200 Bright Road.
More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TheWallThatHealsFindlay/.
