United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s United for Veterans committee is pleased to announce that its application to make Chisholm a stop on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) The Wall That Heals national tour has been accepted.
“This exhibit honors the millions of Americans who served in the Vietnam War, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share it with veterans in our region and their loved ones,” said Erin Shay, UWNEMN community impact and engagement director. “Our United for Veterans committee is excited to get to work to make the exhibit’s stay in Chisholm as meaningful as possible.”
The tour will visit 35 communities in 2020 – its 25th year – and will include a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Mobile Education Center. The exhibit will be in Chisholm June 25-28.
VVMF received 116 applications to host The Wall That Heals in 2020; Chisholm is the only city in Minnesota that will host the exhibit this season.
“Hosting the exhibit provides the opportunity to honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed and offers an educational experience for visitors on the impact of the Vietnam War on America,” said VVMF President and CEO Jim Knotts.
The Wall That Heals is nationally sponsored by USAA and transported thousands of miles across the country each year through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the trucking industry. Local sponsors of the exhibit’s stay in Chisholm are currently being secured and will be announced at a later date.
Since its debut in 1996, The Wall That Heals exhibit has been on display in nearly 600 U.S. communities in addition to Canada and the Four Provinces of Ireland. The Wall That Heals is a program of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982.
This is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C. and includes the largest Wall replica that travels the country. Two VVMF staff members lead volunteers on site, educate visitors and students, and ensure the reflective atmosphere of The Wall. More information on the Wall replica and mobile education center can be found at: www.thewallthatheals.org