From October 31 to November 3, the University of North Georgia will display The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center.
This memorial wall honors the 58,000 troops who died in Vietnam. It also is a place of remembrance and healing for the veterans who served in the war and their families and for the community at large.
The Wall That Heals Vietnam Veterans Memorial Replica and Mobile Education Center will be at UNG from October 29 – November 3. It will be located on the Plaza in front of the library on the Dahlonega campus.
Profound experience
The Vietnam War touched countless lives. Over three million Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the conflict.
For those who have not had the profound experience of visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., this moving wall brings that experience closer to home.
Sandra Cantrell, President of the Clermont Historical Society in Clermont, GA, grew up in Washington, D.C. “I had the chance growing up to see firsthand so many beautiful monuments that most people never get to see. This is such a wonderful way to honor our veterans.”
The moving wall includes the names of the 28 UNG alumni and students killed in action in Vietnam, who are listed on the Memorial Wall at the Dahlonega Campus.
The 375-foot-long replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite supported by 140 aluminum frames. Like the original memorial, The Wall That Heals allows visitors to do name rubbings of individual service members whose names are embossed on it.
Schedule of events
The Wall That Heals is due to arrive on the UNG Dahlonega campus on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Crews will install it on the plaza on Wednesday, Oct. 30. UNG President and Army veteran Michael Shannon will preside over the opening ceremony, which will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The exhibit will open to Lumpkin County school students on Thursday and to the general public on Friday, November 1. At 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1, there will be an Agent Orange Awareness Ceremony.
Organizers are expecting the highest attendance of visitors to the wall on Saturday, Nov. 2.
During its time in Dahlonega, The Wall That Heals exhibit will remain open 24 hours a day. It will close at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, and will be removed for transport to its next destination on Monday, Nov. 4.
Free community event
There is no charge to visit the wall, and visitors do not need to obtain a ticket to view it.
The Clermont Historical Society will be carpooling to visit the wall on Friday, November 1. If you’d like to join them, the group will leave at 11 a.m. and meet at the Clermont DIP Library, located at 639 Main Street in Clermont. For more information, call Cantrell at 678-300-5206.
“We will view the Wall at 2 p.m. and also grab some lunch. It will be a very memorable day,” she says.
The Wall that Heals is presented by UNG in partnership with the Dahlonega City Council, Lumpkin County Veterans Affairs Council, Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Bureau, and the Lumpkin County School District.
