Volunteers are needed to help with “The Wall That Heals,” a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial that makes a four-day stop in Harrisonburg in April. The replica lists the 58,272 names of those killed or missing in action from the conflict.
It will be open 24 hours a day at Ralph Sampson Park from April 19-22.
Sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Association, the traveling wall debuted in 1996 and has since visited about 300 communities throughout the United States.
At its first visit to Harrisonburg in 2009, more than 11,000 people visited the wall.
“This was really something special last time it came,” said Kay Kibler, who organized the wall’s visit in 2009 and is involved this year as well. “There are Vietnam veterans out there that are still searching for that closure… they came home and their buddies didn’t … and some of these men are older and they can’t get to D.C., so this is an opportunity for these veterans to come to the wall.”
Volunteers are needed to set up and dismantle the wall, to guide visitors through the process of looking for names, give directions and help with a food booth for volunteers, said Kibler, who co-chairs the Military Affairs Committee of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber is sponsoring this year’s event, as well as a Military Support Fair at the park April 19.
For more information or to learn more about volunteering, call Kay Kibler at 820-2331 or Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber of Commerce at 434-3862.
