NAHANT — It’s coming a year later than planned — just one more victim of the COVID-19 pandemic — but next month, a memorial exhibit bearing the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, will make its way to Nahant.
The town, along with American Legion Post 215, will host The Wall That Heals, a scaled replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that rests in Washington, D.C., July 15-18 at the Lowlands Athletic Field on Nahant Road.
The wall was supposed to come to Nahant last July but the pandemic forced postponement until this year.
When fully assembled, the replica of the wall stretches 375 feet and stands 7 ½ feet at its tallest. The exhibit consists of the replica, mobile education center and information tent and will be open 24 hours a day, free to the public, beginning Thursday, July 15 at midnight and ending Sunday, July 18 at 2 pm.
“The Nahant American Legion is honored to have been chosen as one of only two New England locations to host The Wall That Heals this summer,” said Post 215 Commander Bob Fields.
“The traveling exhibit honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War, and bears the names of over 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam,” he said.
“Like many events and activities in our nation, the 2020 The Wall That Heals season was dramatically changed by the pandemic,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “We are excited to find these communities ready to work carefully to give a safe opportunity for thousands to experience the healing and educational aspects of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2021.
“We look forward to providing these communities with the opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America,” he said.
“Most Vietnam veterans never received a ‘welcome home.’ We hope that this will be a healing experience for our local Vietnam veterans and their families. It is an opportunity to honor those who have served or are serving in our nation’s military while educating a new generation about how the conflict in Vietnam impacted our community,” the VVMF wrote in a statement.
The Wall That Heals is provided by the VVMF, the nonprofit that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC with donations from the public to help host in Nahant.
The wall in Washington was completed in 1982. It is made up of two 246-foot-9-inch black granite walls and etched with the names of the servicemen being honored in 140 panels of horizontal rows.
One wall points toward the Washington Monument, the other in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial.
Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].