Replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Opens at Murfreesboro’s Barfield Crescent Park

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On November 11, the “Wall That Heals” opened to the public in Barfield Crescent Park. It is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D. C. Standing 7.5 feet tall and running 375 feet in length, it has traveled to nearly 700 communities in the United States since it was first presented on Veteran’s Day in 1996 by the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Fund. Its legacy is two-fold, providing veterans and their families with a sense of healing and educating the young about the war and the wall.

The main components of exhibit are The Wall replica and a mobile Education Center. The display will be open 24-hours a day from November 11 through November 14. On November 9, there was a motorcycle escort of The Wall to the park headed by members of the police department from Bumpus Harley Davidson to Barfield Park. It then took three days to install.

Created to duplicate the original, according to their website, “The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors can do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on [it]. The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 140 numbered panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Machine engraving of the more than 58,000 names along with modern LED lighting provide readability of The Wall day and night.”

As on the original, the names are listed by day of casualty. Beginning at the center, the names start on the right-hand side and run to the end of the wing picking up again at the far end left-hand side and extending back into the center, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center.

Organizers are still looking for volunteers to assist in answering visitors’ questions and providing general support onsite. All volunteers must be registered prior to this event. There will be training provided in advance. Registered Volunteers will receive a special tee-shirt to wear during their shift. To sign up call 615-900-9700 or email to [email protected].

There’s still time to purchase a luminary to support a veteran. Luminaries will be used on Friday, November 12th during a Candlelight Ceremony. Order them at https://forms.gle/MgtWRgstieESLjNt5. Funds from luminary sales help defray the cost of the event.

In Mid-October, the Tri Star Committee that made arrangements for this exhibit had a special dinner to honor sponsors and local veterans. The keynote speaker was Captain William Robinson, US Air Force Retired. According to the Wall That Heals Tri Star Facebook page, “Captain Robinson survived 2,703 days as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict…[D]uring his speech something stuck out to the group, “what does freedom mean to you”, he stated he was asked. His response, “A doorknob that opens from the inside’.”

His response made everyone attending think about what those that served went through and lived to tell about or share about those who didn’t survive. The planning committee was truly honored to have him speak and share his experiences. Along with many Vietnam Veterans, they also had the honor of hosting two World War II veterans.

The Wall That Heals will opened at 7:00 a.m. on November 11 to signify Veteran’s Day. Veterans Day occurs on November 11 every year in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the end of World War I, known as Armistice Day.

The Wall That Heals
Barfield Crescent Park
697 Veterans Pkwy
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewalltristar/