CAYUGA COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIALCOMMITTEE

Listed below the Mission Statement for this project. The VVA 704 Mission Statement for The Wall That Heals Exhibit The Wall That Heals will be brought to The Central New York Region as a viable means to help our Veteran Community and their family members heal from the terrible scars of their Vietnam experiences that they have endured. The purpose of sponsoring this exhibit from Washington DC is to Remember and Honor all Veterans for their Service. The 58,276 names displayed on The Wall That Heals and the In Memory Program allows each visitor to have a personal and unique connection to visiting the exhibit. To teach all generations about the realities, the human costs and the enduring impacts and destitution created by this epoch in our American History. This exhibit shall provide an opportunity for those citizens, college students and school children, nonmilitary and Veterans from other eras who visit to learn about the Vietnam war in a factual and unbiased setting against the stark historical reality of the era in which the War happened. The sponsorship of the exhibit helps the VVA 704 live up to the credo that “No soldier will be left behind and forgotten by our citizens and a grateful nation.” The exhibit shall serve to educate all who visit and provide a sense of closure for many who attend. Individuals who attend The Wall That Heals Exhibit may also obtain a rubbing of their loved ones, a friend or family member’s name directly from THE WALL THAT HEALS The Cayuga County Vietnam Veterans Chapter 704 is also able to promote the Wall That Heals Exhibit within Central New York as a viable tourist destination. Such related educational and personal experiences of visitors to The Wall That Heals will create an economic benefit for Central New York businesses and their communities. BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THE VVA 704 MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE WALL THAT HEALS EXHIBIT Description Of The Wall That Heals and The Mobile Education Center The Wall That Heals exhibit features a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors 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 can do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall. The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 140 numbered panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Machine engraving of the more than 58,000 names along with modern LED lighting provide readability of The Wall Day and Night. As on The Wall, the names on The Wall That Heals are listed by day of casualty. 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, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center. TH THE MEDUCATIONENTOBILEEDUCATION CE The 53-foot trailer that carries The Wall That Heals transforms to become a mobile Education Center. The exterior of the trailer features a timeline of “The War and The Wall” and provides additional information about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Additional exhibits give visitors a better understanding of the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the collection of items left at The Wall. Displays include Hometown Heroes: Photos of service members on The Wall who list their home of record from the local area. The photos ae part of the Wall of Faces an effort to put a face to every name inscribed on The Wall in Washington, D.C., In Memory Honor Roll: Photos of local Vietnam Veterans honored through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory Program which honors veterans who returned home and later died. Digital photos are of In Memory honorees from the state where the exhibit is on display. A replica of the In Memory plaque that resides on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C. and reads: “In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.” Items Left Behind – Displays of items representative of those left at The Wall in Washington, D.C. in remembrance of those on The Wall. Watch below as VVMF’s Education Director, Callie Wright, speaks with students about a care package that is part of the exhibit. Learn about the items on display with The Wall That Heals exhibit by clicking here. • Map of Vietnam • Timeline of the War and The Wall • The Gold Star Bike – Donated to VVMF by the American Gold Star Mothers in 2012, the bike is a Softail Custom Harley that pays tribute to the mothers who lost sons to the Vietnam War.