The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the City of Orlando are bringing The Wall that Heals, a traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to downtown Orlando January 16 through 22. The Wall and traveling museum will be featured at the northeast corner of Lake Eola Park, on the corner of E. Robinson Street and N. Eola Drive.
The Wall that Heals arrives at Lake Eola on Monday, January 16 at 10 a.m. and will be escorted by a number of local Veteran motorcycle groups. Central Florida residents are encouraged to visit the seven day exhibit to remember loved ones, bring photos of friends or loved ones who perished in Vietnam, share their experiences with others and learn more about the Vietnam War era.
Since its inauguration in 1996, The Wall that Heals has visited over 350 cities throughout the United States with the goal of allowing the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among families and friends. The Wall that Heals also features a mobile museum for visitors to tour and take part in. The museum includes pictures and stories of some of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War, as well as displays chronicling the history and facts of the war.
In addition to the opportunity to visit and experience The Wall that Heals, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the City of Orlando will be holding a Call for Photos ceremony on Saturday, January 21 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the northeast corner of Lake Eola Park. The Call for Photos is a national campaign to locate photos for each of the 58,272 service members memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. When collected, all photos will be displayed for generations to come at The Education Center at The Wall, a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Central Florida families, friends and veterans who visit the wall are encouraged to bring their photos so that they can be scanned and contributed to The Education Center at The Wall. Those who contribute photos will also have the opportunity to share a story or remembrance about the person in the photo.
Special presentations at the Call for Photos ceremony will include Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund founder and President, Jan C. Scruggs, Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer and Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Council Chairman, Paul Hay.
For more information on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund please visit:
www.vvmf.org and www.buildthecenter.org
