Moveable Vietnam Veterans Memorial to arrive in Kalispell
A reflection of visitors at The Wall that Heals following the opening ceremony on Thursday morning, September 7, in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., is expected to arrive in Kalispell on June 20.
More than 300 Patriot Riders, first responders and Two Bear Air Rescue will escort the traveling memorial through downtown Kalispell before it arrives at Glacier High School. The procession is scheduled to begin at 2955 U.S. 93 S. at 11:30 a.m. and wrap up at noon.
The memorial and its escort are expected to head north on U.S. 93 before turning west onto Idaho Street. From there it will proceed onto the U.S. 93 bypass before exiting onto Old Reserve Drive and heading toward Glacier High School. The memorial will be set up at the school's soccer field.
Glacier Park Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2252 is hosting the exhibition, which will open to visitors June 22-25. Organizers describe it as an opportunity to learn about the Vietnam War and reflect the more than 2.7 million people who served during the conflict, particularly the 58,281 who died.
The memorial is accompanied by a mobile education center designed to give visitors a
better understanding of the legacy of the wall and educates about the impact of the Vietnam War.
The original Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands in Washington, D.C., commemorating the men and women who served and died in the war. Inscribed on the black granite walls are the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing.
Bringing The Wall That Heals home to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings, according to the wall’s website.