The Wall That Heals, Vietnam Memorial exhibit opens on Maui, Feb. 9

The Maui County Veterans Council, in collaboration with the County of Maui, extend an invitation to attend The Wall That Heals, Vietnam Memorial, at the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku. The exhibit opens on Friday, Feb. 9 and will run until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

The traveling exhibit honors the more than three million Americans who served in the US 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 exhibit includes a three‐quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center.

The replica exhibit is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors are able to experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in D.C.

Like the original Memorial, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names. The names are listed in order of date of casualty and alphabetically on each day. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex. The first and last casualties are side by side at the apex of the Memorial.

The exhibit has traversed numerous US communities since its inception in 1996, symbolizing unity, remembrance and respect for those who served. Organizers say it is a testament to the indomitable spirit and sacrifice of our armed forces.

The exhibit is a program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the nonprofit organization that erected the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982. Notably, The Wall That Heals is the sole traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C., featuring the largest Wall replica that journeys across the country.

The Wall That Heals, Vietnam Memorial has a unique mobile education center that provides up to 100 students a 45 to 60-minute private tour and education of the exhibit.

Volunteers are still needed at the site in order to keep the exhibit open 24 hours a day. Volunteer are being sought for four-hour blocks. Those interested can sign up online.

If you know a Vietnam Veteran from the state of Hawai’i who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service, please encourage a family member of friend to register that Veteran with the In Memory program. The deadline for Hawai’i is Jan. 8, 2024.