On Veterans Day 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) unveiled a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial’s healing legacy to millions.

Bringing The Wall home to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin.

The main components of The Wall That Heals are The Wall replica and the mobile Education Center.

The Wall That Heals exhibit was on the road for nearly 18,000 miles and visited 32 communities across the country during its 2023 season. We were escorted by nearly 3,000 vehicles into those communities, and we were able to spread The Wall’s healing legacy to more than 222,000 visitors. Guided tours of the exhibit were provided to more than 21,000 visitors.

Honoring the more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, The Wall That Heals – which is 375 feet in length and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam – is transported from community to community via a 53-foot trailer. When parked, the trailer opens up to showcase a variety of exhibits, allowing it to serve as a mobile education center that tells the story of the Vietnam War.