Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall

Honoring our Fallen Heroes

By Robin Brunet

With 1,534 of the 58,320 names inscribed on its black anodized aluminum surface representing fallen heroes from Indiana, the new Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall at the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has a special meaning for veterans in that state, while paying tribute to everyone who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

It is also a source of pride for SMACNA member Morris Sheet Metal Corp and Local 20 Fort Wayne SMART Army, which pooled their resources to turn this long-awaited project into reality.

“It first came on our radar in December 2020, when it was announced that a replica of the wall would be erected in Fort Wayne,” recalls Darryl Esterline, business representative for Local 20. “Given the importance of the project to so many families, we told the organizers that SMART Army would volunteer our services to honor our fallen heroes.”

The aptly named Healing Wall is an 80% size replica of the actual Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC, standing eight feet tall, 360 feet long, and made up of 72 panels. The arrangement of the wall is such that the names of service members who lost their lives are in a ‘V’ configuration, with the eight-foot panels in the middle of the ‘V’ tapering down to the smallest on the ends, which are just two feet tall.

“It helps that I worked for most of the owners of companies in the Fort Wayne area until I became a business representative in 2013. So, when I’m approached with problems, I can propose solutions based on practical experience.”

The wall toured the country for a decade, and public donations enabled the Shrine to purchase the panels last December, at which point they were put into storage while concrete footers, support structuring for the wall, and surrounding grounds were prepared to receive the panels.

The remaining challenge may have been small in size, but it was crucial to the success of the project—a system was required that would fix the panels to the concrete firmly but without undue visual clutter. It was the perfect task for Local 20, which, like SMART Armies in other jurisdictions, is dedicated to investing in its community with volunteer efforts, unity, and outreach.

“We had only three weeks to develop a fastener, and standard J-channels would have been inefficient and costly,” Esterline says. “After considering three different concepts and a lot of trial and error, we created a blind fastening system whereby each panel would have two male clips on the top and bottom, and the concrete wall where it would attach would have two corresponding female clips. The panel would hook to the top clips and, thanks to a clearance of just one sixteenth of an inch, be able to settle on the bottom clips.”

Thomas Laubhan, president at Morris Sheet Metal, says the request by Esterline to fabricate the clips was right up his alley, considering the company’s involvement in a variety of custom applications.

“We provided CAD drawings and sample mockups, followed by approval of the fasteners and shop fabrication,” Laubhan says. “In addition to being invisible, the beauty of the system is that the panels are set slightly away from the concrete, allowing for seasonal expansion and contraction.”

SMART Army came up with an ingenious way to ensure the system worked. “We created a prototype by building our own panels and test mounting them on a plywood wall,” Esterline says. “That way, we avoided any potential damage to the real panels, and on-site installation would be that much easier.”

Laubhan, who also donated tools and equipment for the installation process, says it was an honor to be part of the SMART Army project. “Darryl is always on the lookout for ways contractors and the union can get involved in worthy causes, and this was a great one,” he says.

To say both parties enjoy a close working relationship in Fort Wayne would be an understatement. “I’ve known Darryl since I was sweeping the floor of his workplace when I was 17 and he was a sheet metal journeyman,” Laubhan says. “We’ve never dwelled on any division between labor and management because we both want the industry to grow and give employees a good living wage. Sure, we have our differences from time to time, but only with particulars.”

Esterline agrees. “If we’ve ever had a problem or issue between us that lasted more than a day or so, I’d be surprised,” he says, adding that this bond exists throughout his Local’s 275-strong building trades membership, which covers 16 counties in Northeast Indiana. “It helps that I worked for most of the owners of companies in the Fort Wayne area until I became a business representative in 2013. So, when I’m approached with problems, I can propose solutions based on practical experience.”

The Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall is a prime example. The installation process proved to be trouble-free, with layout completed and a few panels being installed on May 1 alone.

“We were able to complete the project in advance of Veterans’ Day, and the unveiling ceremony took place on May 29,” Esterline says. “If there was a single image that made our efforts worthwhile, it was that of Fort Wayne Commander Greg Bedford of the Veterans’ National Memorial Shrine and Museum. He watched as we hung the first panel on site, and tears rolled down his cheeks.” ▪

Robin Brunet’s journalism has been published in over 150 magazines, newspapers, websites, and other media across Canada and the United States since 1982. He is also the best-selling author of two books: Red Robinson: The Last Deejay and Let’s Get Frank, as well as the upcoming The Last Broadcast.