SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The media on Tuesday was allowed to preview the traveling Vietnam War Memorial Wall known as The Wall That Heals, which is a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The group that organizes The Wall That Heals arrived in South Bend on Tuesday, and by Thursday the memorial will be open and free to the public for 24 hour viewings.
Veterans say that this is a great opportunity for people to learn about the Vietnam War’s history.
“The Vietnam war was sort of not forgotten but you usually only have 2 paragraphs in the history books about it,” Ed Bures said, a Vietnam War Veteran. “By bringing the wall here I think it’ll open it up more to younger people of what the Vietnam War was.”
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is among the most visited memorials in Washington D.C.
5.3 million people visit it every year. It was originally built in 1982.
Over 58,000 soldiers died during the Vietnam War, and their names are honored on the wall.
School visits are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and Bishop Kevin Rhodes will also be there.
The memorial will be in South Bend September 19-22.