By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
The Wall That Heals is coming to Washington for a visit April 22-25.
The Wall That Heals refers to a half-scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. A group of local veterans and others have banded together to bring the memorial to the Original Washington on the Pamlico River. The wall commemorates the more than 58,000 men and women who were killed during the 10 years of the Vietnam War.
Vietnam veteran and Washington resident George H. Schryer is heading the effort to bring the wall to Washington at an estimated cost of $10,000.
“We’ve been real pleased with the community’s interest to get involved,” Schryer, who served in the Air Force, said Wednesday.
“As of the moment, everything is going great,” Schryer said.
The wall is scheduled to arrive in Washington on April 20 and be set up April 21. The wall will be displayed at Veterans Park on East Third Street in Washington.
“Our opening ceremony will be on the 22nd at 9 a.m. It will begin with a B-52 flyover. Our guest speaker is (retired Army) Col. Walter Joseph Marm (Jr.) from Freemont. He is a recipient of the Medal of Honor,” Schryer said.
Allan Hoffman, news anchor for WNCT-TV in Greenville and a Vietnam veteran, will read the names of 42 people from Beaufort County and surrounding counties who died in the Vietnam War, Schryer said. Hoffman was a combat helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.
“A POW-MIA ceremony will be part of the opening ceremony. If you’ve never seen a POW-MIA ceremony, it’s pretty impressive,” Schryer said.
At the end of the opening ceremony, doves will be released, he said.
Area veterans organizations and community members have helped raise funds for the project. The City of Washington and Beaufort County Board of Commissioners each pledged $2,000.
The traveling memorial is owned and operated by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a private, nonprofit organization.
Contributions to The Wall That Heals project may be mailed to the City of Washington, P.O. Box 210, Washington, N.C. 27889. Donations are tax-deductible.