“The Wall That Heals” Coming to Dare County in November

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The Dare County Veterans Advisory Council has announced that it will host “The Wall That Heals”—a traveling, three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that tours the country along with an accompanying mobile education center—in Dare County in November 2023.

Honoring the more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, “The Wall That Heals”—which is 375 feet in length and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam—is transported from community to community via a 53-foot trailer. When parked, the trailer opens up to showcase a variety of exhibits, allowing it to serve as a mobile education center that tells the story of the Vietnam War.

The free exhibit will be open to the public 24 hours a day from November 16, 2023 through November 19, 2023 at the Soundside Event Site, which is located at 6800 South Croatan Highway in Nags Head.

By hosting “The Wall That Heals” this fall, Dare County will provide an opportunity for local veterans, residents and visitors to the Outer Banks community to remember and honor those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War—and to educate them about the continuing impacts of the conflict on our country. Visitors will also have the opportunity to create a name rubbing of individual service members’ names on the wall when they visit the exhibit.

“The Dare County Veterans Advisory Council, as well as the committee we have established, feel that bringing 'The Wall that Heals' to Dare County is important not only to honor the veterans who served and died during the Vietnam War but to also teach and inform students and younger generations about the war and the sacrifices our soldiers made for our country,” said Dare County Veterans Services Officer Patty O’Sullivan. “Some gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, and some veterans that were able to come home suffer with the impact of injuries sustained during their service, the effects of toxin exposure, as well as PTSD. We wanted to give veterans and their families that may be unable to travel to Washington, D.C., the opportunity to see the wall in person.”

Donate:

In order to bring “The Wall That Heals” to Dare County, the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council is seeking financial support from businesses and individuals. In addition to covering the costs associated with bringing “The Wall That Heals'' and its accompanying mobile education center to the area, donations will also be used to help support the veterans within the community through the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council, which works to coordinate a wide array of services and activities that benefit local veterans and their families.

Tax deductible donations can be made online through Interfaith Community Outreach, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is collaborating with the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council to bring “The Wall That Heals” to the Outer Banks in November. To donate online, please click the button below.

Donations can also be submitted by mail to the Dare County Motorsports Charity Group, which is Dare County’s fundraising partner for this event. Please make checks payable to the Dare County Motorsports Charity Group and mail them to P.O. Box 999, Nags Head, NC 27959. Be sure to include “The Wall That Heals” in the check memo.

For more information about donating to bring “The Wall That Heals” to Dare County, as well as the various sponsorship levels that are available, please visit www.DareNC.gov/Wall. Any and all donations are appreciated, regardless of the amount.

Sign Up to Volunteer:

Numerous volunteers will be needed to help assemble the wall when it arrives, to work at the event site during its stay in Dare County in order to help direct visitors and answer any questions they may have, and to disassemble the wall before it begins its journey to the next location.

If you are interested in volunteering during this event, please use the links below to find more information about each volunteer position and to sign up.

• Set Up “The Wall That Heals” - Assembly Volunteer Schedule
• “The Wall That Heals” - Onsite Volunteer Schedule
• Disassemble “The Wall That Heals” - Take Down Volunteer Schedule

For more information about “The Wall That Heals,” please contact Dare County Veterans Services Officer Patty O’Sullivan by email at Patricia.O’Sullivan@DareNC.gov or by phone at 252-475-5604 (office) or 252-473-7749 (cell). Those interested in volunteering may also contact Dare County Veterans Advisory Council Secretary Marsha Brown at GiglineHeroes@aol.com or 252-202-2058.

Honor Your Vietnam Veteran:

Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have died each year due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD/suicide, cancer and other causes related to their service. In an effort to honor these veterans, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund created the In Memory program, which provides a way for family members and friends to honor those who returned home from Vietnam and later passed away.

When a Vietnam veteran is honored through the In Memory program, their photo will be included on an Honor Roll display alongside images of other honorees from the state in which “The Wall That Heals” exhibit is on display. In order for a local veteran to be included in the In Memory Honor Roll display when “The Wall That Heals” comes to Dare County in November 2023, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund must receive the application by October 13, 2023.

How to Apply:

To apply to honor a Vietnam veteran who is longer with us through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program, please click the button below to complete an application.

The application can be completed online or printed out and mailed to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Attention: In Memory Program, 3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201. In addition to completing an application form, applicants must also provide the following documentation in order to be accepted into the In Memory program:

• A DD214 (or other record that provides proof of service in the Vietnam War)
• A death certificate
• Two clear photographs of the honoree (the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund recommends one photo from the Vietnam era and one photo that is more recent, if possible)

If you are unable to complete the application yourself and do not have a family member available to help you, please contact Dare County Veterans Services Officer Patty O’Sullivan at 252-475-5604 (office) or 252-473-7749 (cell) and she will be happy to assist you.

Please Note: The In Memory program honors all Vietnam veterans who have passed and enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized. The In Memory program is inclusive to honor all Vietnam veterans, regardless of their cause of death. For more information about the In Memory program, please click here to download a flyer. 

“The Wall That Heals is a reminder of a time in our history we should never forget,” said Marsha Brown, who serves as secretary of the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council. “This beautiful yet haunting symbol of extraordinary loss will touch your life. To know a survivor is to know a hero, and as the widow of a Vietnam veteran, I can attest to what ‘The Wall That Heals’ will mean to the still-living veterans who could witness that we do care, respect and love them.”

For more information about “The Wall That Heals,” as well as updates about the upcoming event in Dare County, please visit www.DareNC.gov/Wall or click the button below.