The Healing Wall, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is coming to the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital September 22-25, 2022. The exhibit, along with an education center mobile, will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public. The Healing Wall closes at 2 p.m. on September 25.
The healing wall
The healing wall pays tribute to the more than three million Americans who served in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Bringing the mobile exhibit to VA Bedford HCS and, by extension, the City of Bedford, allows local veterans and their family members to experience the wall. It provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War and to educate visitors about the ongoing impact of the Vietnam War on America.
Event calendar
(Subject to change; check back regularly for updates)
Tuesday, September 20: arrival of the truck in the afternoon with motorcycle escort
Wednesday, September 21: Set up by airmen from Hanscom Air Force Base
6:00 p.m. – Volunteer Orientation
Thursday September 22: opening of the exhibition at 12:01 a.m.; remains open 24 hours a day until 2 p.m. on Sundays
Time to be determined – Suicide Prevention Walk
1:30 p.m. – Welcome Home Ceremony
To be determined: pinning ceremony
Friday, September 23: Exhibition open 24 hours a day; available for tour planning
Saturday September 24: Exhibition open 24 hours a day; available for tour planning
Sunday, September 25: Gold Star Mother’s Day; exhibition open until 2 p.m.
11 a.m. – Blessing of families
2:00 p.m. – Exhibit closes and tear down by Hanscom AFB staff
Volunteer Opportunities
Accommodation The healing wall is an opportunity that can transform a community!
VA Bedford needs volunteers to help with The healing wall. From Thursday to Sunday, we can expect hundreds of volunteers and thousands of visitors 24 hours a day, regardless of weather, crowds or other needs. It will really take a village.
Volunteers are needed around the clock to greet and assist visitors, must be 18 years of age or older and able to stand for long periods of time. Volunteer training will be provided. Interested individual volunteers can sign up for shifts at tinyurl.com/33e2e8w7.
Organizations interested in volunteering or sponsoring the tour can contact VA Bedford by email at vhabedTheWallThatHeals@va.gov or call 781-687-3076 to express interest.
Group visits
Plan your school or group for this unique opportunity for an educational experience not possible even at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Each tour is led by a Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund staff member trained to engage visitors and students of all ages and from all walks of life. Each group will be guided through the mobile education center and The healing wall. Tours last approximately one hour, including a Q&A session, giving groups time to engage with The Wall. School visits are welcome! Reservations are required for tours.
Visits include:
- History of the Wall – the vision of the artist, the competition that chose the design and the importance of the layout.
- Mobile Education Center – items left at The Wall, Hometown Heroes, In memory Honor roll, digital history displays, sample items left on the Wall.
Tour group size
We can accommodate up to 100 visitors per hour for a visit. The minimum size for the tour is 10. If we have a smaller group we can add them to another tour.
Visiting times
School visits are available Thursday and Friday.
Tours are available for other groups on Thursday or Friday evenings and Saturdays, subject to availability.
Registration/visit reservations
Guided tours are free, but you must register in advance. To schedule a visit, please email vhabedTheWallThatHeals@va.gov or call 781-687-3076. When emailing, please provide the date, time and number of people attending your tour in addition to the contact name and phone number, and we will confirm availability for your tour.
In memory program
As part of the exhibition, local Vietnam veterans who died after returning home are eligible to be honored as part of the In memory display in mobile education center.
Honoring a Veteran is free and the application process is simple. Visit www.vvmf.org/inmemory, complete the short application form, then submit the veteran’s proof of service in Vietnam, a copy of his death certificate and two photographs no later than August 22.
All Massachusetts Veterans Honored by the In memory program will display their photos and names as part of the education center mobile exhibit when The healing wall is at the VA Bedford Healthcare System September 22-25.
We want to honor as many Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans as possible. If your loved one served in Vietnam, returned home, and later died, we want to be able to proudly display their name and photo in our community.
