Scale replica of Vietnam War Memorial returns to Southern Utah

Stock image, Vietnam Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C. | St. George News

ST. GEORGE – The Vietnam Veterans of America Southern Utah Chapter 961 and Zion Harley Davidson have announced the return of “The Wall That Heals,” a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that is permanently placed in the District of Columbia. The memorial contains the names of over 58,000 American soldiers who were killed in the Vietnam War.

In this photo from 2015, “The Wall That Heals” arrives at Zion Harley Davidson, Washington City, Utah, March 11, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

The scale replica is a traveling exhibition wall which allows Vietnam veterans, their families, friends and supporters an opportunity to pay tribute to their fallen comrades without having to travel all the way to the nation’s capital.

The wall will be arriving at Zion Harley Davidson, 2345 N. Coral Canyon Blvd. in Washington City Wednesday and will be open for public viewing at 8 a.m. Thursday. An official opening ceremony will take place Thursday at 10 a.m. and a memorial ceremony will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. The wall will be available to view 24 hours a day until noon Sunday when it will be taken down.

The vehicle carrying carrying the wall will receive a special escort into Washington City from members of the Patriot Guard Riders, Dixie Four Wheel Drive and others.

The wall is coming to Southern Utah from Texas and will pass through Cedar City where the escort will meet up with it at Cedar City C-A-L Ranch, 750 N. Main St. around 9 a.m. The caravan will travel south on Interstate 15 to Exit 27; through Toquerville, LaVerkin and Hurricane back to I-15; continue south to Exit 13 onto Washington Parkway; then north on Telegraph Street to Coral Canyon and Zion Harley Davidson. The wall is expected to arrive at Zion Harley Davidson around noon Wednesday.

For many Vietnam veterans the opportunity to visit the scale replica of the memorial is also an opportunity to find closure and peace, said Vietnam veteran Bruce Raftery. The wall is open 24 hours a day which gives the veterans a chance to have a private moment to pay tribute to the lives that were lost and hopefully find healing, Raftery said.

You would be surprised how many veterans don’t want you to see them cry,” Raftery said.

The wall was previously brought to Zion Harley Davidson in March 2015 and over 10,000 people came to view it, Raftery said. This year they hope even more people will come pay tribute to the Vietnam veterans and learn about this part of the nation’s history.

Zion Harley Davidson has continuously been a huge supporter of veterans events and is the permanent home of a Vietnam War monument containing the names of veterans who survived the war but whose lives were forever altered by the conflict.

Event details

  • What: Scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
  • When: Thursday-Sunday, March 16-19; the wall will be open to view from 8 a.m. Thursday, March 16 until noon Sunday, March 19.
  • Where: Zion Harley Davidson, 2345 N. Coral Canyon Blvd., Washington City
  • Special events: Opening ceremony Thursday, March 16 at 10 a.m. | Memorial ceremony Saturday, March 18, 6 p.m.

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