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The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is coming to Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital Sept. 22-25, 2022. The exhibit, along with a mobile Education Center, will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public. The Wall That Heals closes at 2 p.m. on Sept. 25.

The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in 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 Town of Bedford, allows local Veterans and their family members a chance to experience The Wall. It provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America.

(Subject to change; check back regularly for updates)

Tuesday, Sept. 20: Truck arrives in the afternoon with motorcycle escort

Wednesday, Sept. 21: Set up by Airmen from Hanscom Air Force Base 6 p.m. - Volunteer orientation

Thursday, Sept. 22: Exhibit opens at 12:01 a.m.; remains open 24 hours a day until 2 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. - Suicide Prevention walk 1:30 p.m. - Welcome Home and pinning ceremony

Friday, Sept. 23: Exhibit open 24 hours; available for tour scheduling

Saturday, Sept. 24: Exhibit open 24 hours; available for tour scheduling

Sunday, Sept. 25: Gold Star Mother’s Day; exhibit open until 2 p.m.  11 a.m. - Blessing of the families 2 p.m. - Exhibit closes; take down by Hanscom AFB personnel

VA Bedford needs volunteers to assist with The Wall That Heals. From Thursday until Sunday, we can expect hundreds of volunteers and thousands of visitors for 24-hours each day no matter the weather, crowds, or other needs. It will truly take a village.

Volunteers are needed around the clock to greet and assist visitors, should be 18 years or older, and be able to stand for extended periods. Volunteer training will be provided. Interested individual volunteers may sign up for shifts at tinyurl.com/33e2e8w7.   

Organizations desiring to volunteer or sponsor the visit may contact VA Bedford via email at vhabedTheWallThatHeals@va.gov or call 781-687-3076 to express their interest.

Schedule your school or group  for this unique opportunity for an educational experience not possible even at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Every tour is led by a Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund staff member trained to engage visitors and students of all ages and backgrounds. Each group will be guided through the mobile Education Center and The Wall That Heals. Tours run for approximately one hour, including a question-and-answer session, allowing time for groups to engage with The Wall. School tours are welcome! Reservations are required for tours.

We can accommodate up to 100 visitors per hour for a tour. The minimum size for the tour is 10. If we have a smaller group, we can add them to another tour. 

School tours are available on Thursday and Friday.

Tours are available for other groups on Thursday or Friday evening and Saturday, subject to availability.

Guided tours are free, but you must pre-register. To schedule a tour, please email  vhabedTheWallThatHeals@va.gov or call 781-687-3076 . When emailing please provide the date, time, and the number of attendees for your tour in addition to contact name and phone number, and we will confirm the  availability for your tour.

As part of the exhibit, local Vietnam Veterans who died after returning home are eligible to be honored as part of the In Memory display in the mobile Education Center.

To honor 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 their death certificate, and two photographs no later than Aug. 22.

All Veterans from Massachusetts honored through the In Memory program will have their photos and names on display as part of the mobile Education Center exhibit when The Wall That Heals is at VA Bedford Healthcare System Sept. 22 – 25.

We want to honor as many Vietnam Veterans from Massachusetts as possible. If your loved one served in Vietnam, returned home and later died, we want to be able to display their name and photo proudly in our community.

Get answers to frequently asked questions about The Wall That Heals.

The three-quarter scale Wall replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors will experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in Washington, D.C.

The Wall That Heals is transported from community to community in a 53-foot trailer. When parked, the trailer opens with exhibits built into its sides, allowing it to serve as a mobile Education Center telling the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall, and the divisive era in American history.

The 2022 national The Wall That Heals tour is generously sponsored by USAA. Through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), the trucking industry, and Blue Beacon, the exhibit is able to travel across the country.

Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 700 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005.

The Wall That Heals will travel to Methuen, Massachusetts, for display Sept. 29-Oct. 2 after it leaves VA Bedford Healthcare System. Prior to being on display at VA Bedford, The Wall was in Middletown, New York, from Sept. 15-18.

The Wall That Heals is a program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982. The Wall That Heals is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C., and includes the largest Wall replica that travels the country. Two VVMF staff members lead volunteers on site, educate visitors and students, and ensure the reflective atmosphere of The Wall. More information can be found at www.thewallthatheals.org.

The mobile Education Center tells the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall, and the era surrounding the conflict, and is designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.

The exhibit includes digital photo displays of “Hometown Heroes”--service members whose names are on The Wall that list their home of record within the area of a visit; digital photo displays of Vietnam Veterans from the local area honored through Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program, which honors Veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died as a result of their service; video displays that teach about the history and impact of The Wall; educational exhibits told through items representative of those left at The Wall in Washington, D.C.; a replica of the In Memory plaque; a map of Vietnam, and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. 

Bus tours and school field trips are welcome.  

Of course! Please be gentle so as not to do any damage, but we encourage you to honor your Veteran and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War.