A traveling exhibit honoring those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War stopped at Devens this week.
“The Wall That Heals,” a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is open 24 hours a day from July 25 to 2 p.m. on July 28, on Roger’s Field at Devens.
The names of the 58,281 U.S. servicemembers who were killed during the war or missing in action are etched into the 140 granite panels, extending 375 feet long.
“When the official wall [in Washington] was dedicated in 1982, we figured, well, not everyone is able to go to Washington, DC,” said Rodney Gonsalves, site manager for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s traveling exhibit. “So, we figured, if they can’t come to the wall, we will bring the wall to them.”
Staff and volunteers assemble and break down the nationwide exhibit at each location.
The 53-foot trailer that transports the wall transforms into a mobile education center, with information and displays on one side and images of “Hometown Heroes” on the other.
Nita Casey visited the exhibit Saturday to honor her late husband, Army Command Sergeant Major Tim Casey, who made it home from Vietnam but later developed cancer from exposure to war chemical Agent Orange and died in 2016, she told Boston 25 News.
“This year we’d be married 60 years. We have three children,” Nita Casey said through tears, as she waited to see her husband’s picture on a video memorial. “He died because of Agent Orange. He should be still living, really… I’m glad he’s being remembered like that, because he dedicated his whole Army life.”
Visitors of the memorial located names of their loved ones, young families paid their respects and children left flowers and flags before the wall.
“It’s very humbling to walk by and see the names of individuals who gave their life for service, for country,” said veteran Bill Marshall. “A lot of those young men didn’t want to be there. Some of them actually opposed the war. But they felt obligated to serve their country, and we should honor their sacrifice and be thankful for what their contribution was.”
Norman Beaudoin, a memorial volunteer and veteran, helped transport the bodies of those killed in action (KIA) during his service. He was emotional Saturday as he described seeing the names of people he may have transported.
“When I was in the service as a crew chief… a lot of the times we’d carry the KIAs,” Beaudoin said. “They never had a name; they were just a bag, like a cargo. This… takes the cargo away.”
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund encourages anyone who lost loved ones due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD or other related illnesses related to their Vietnam service to have them honored in its In Memory program. To apply, go to www.vvmf.org/inmemory.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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