Vietnam Veteran Exhibit Travels to the Northland

DULUTH, Minn. — A replica wall of the Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. travelled to Chisholm last week.

The monument is known as the ‘Wall That Heals.’ The replica is brought across the country so that Vietnam veterans and their families can see it without getting on a plane.

The wall that heals’ exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile education center.

Nearly three-million Americans served in the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. Over 58-thousand names of veterans cover the wall. Including 105 from Chisholm and over 1000 from Minnesota.

Vietnam Army Veteran, Stan Reed, said that “just seeing so many names it’s hard to believe that many people died and this recognizes the people that served.” The exhibit will visit 29 communities during the year and is open to everyone within the region.

Coordinator with the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, Michelle Lamptom, explained “it’s a great chance for our younger community members that may not know a lot about Vietnam to learn about it and to connect those dots with maybe a family member that they know that may have served and to just learn about the war itself.”

She went on to say, “for the older generation it is a chance to pay their respects or find a family member on the wall and say their goodbyes and start that healing process.”

Onsite counseling was offered at the wall in Chisholm through the Duluth Veteran Center and the Veteran Crisis Line. The wall is now on its to Wisconsin and will return to Eagan and Winsted Minnesota in July.