Wall that Heals

from page 1 they make the walk. The wall has 140 highly reflective synthetic granite plaques that allow visitors to see their own reflection behind the seemingly countless names of the fallen.

Staff from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the nonprofit that built the memorial in Washington, D.C., will be onsite to lead volunteers, educate visitors and ensure the atmosphere is reverential. One of the staff is Herb Reckinger, a South St. Paul native who graduated in 1970 along with some of the siblings of those whose names are now on the wall. Visitors can receive paper and a graphite pencil with which to trace the name of a loved one.

The Wall that Heals was built in 1996 and has since traveled to more than 700 communities. It’s transported in a 53-foot covered trailer that, when parked, is used for the educational exhibits. While at STA, it will feature digital photos of Minnesota service members whose names are on the wall, digital photos of local Vietnam veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died, educational videos about the history and impact