‘The Wall That Heals’ Vietnam memorial replica on display in Campbelltown

“The Wall That Heals,” a 3/4-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be on display 24-7 at Campbelltown Community Park until Sept. 6.

The wall, an exact replica of the D.C. memorial, contains the names of 58,318 Vietnam veterans who died or went missing during the war. It is lit to be viewable at any time of day or night.

Tours will available through the week. There will also be a Welcome Home ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, a Light the Night ceremony at 8 p.m. Friday, a Final Roll Call at 6 p.m. Saturday, and a closing ceremony at 1:45 p.m. Sunday.

In an interview with LebTown on Wednesday while setting up the wall, Jim Lasher, co-chair of the local committee for the exhibit, said he read an article about the wall in 2023 and was moved by the concept. His father, who died in 2019, was a Vietnam veteran.

“I have a lot of respect for Vietnam veterans, the ones that are on the wall and the ones that are still walking right now,” said Lasher. “They went through a lot. I was really moved by the wall. It brought a tear to my eye just reading the article about it, reading what it is, and I just had to bring it to the community.”

The next year, he worked alongside the American Legion, Campbelltown Post 831, to apply to bring the wall to Campbelltown.

One of over 150 applicants for only 30 locations, Campbelltown was not selected for 2025, but a representative of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund urged Lasher to have the committee improve their application for the next year and resubmit. Lasher explained that the representative recommended more community involvement, and the committee expanded to include a school board member, borough council members, representatives of the police and fire departments, and more.

In 2026, the community park was selected as one of the wall’s 31 touring locations.

“Wall That Heals” site manager Tim Tetz explained that the wall’s mission is to bring the impact of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to people who may be unable to visit D.C. The organization works to give veterans and their families the space to grieve and process, teach youth about the Vietnam War, and foster community for veterans. The wall has been brought to 800 locations in the 31 years since it was made.

Over 50 volunteers came together Wednesday to set up the 375-foot long and 7.5-foot tall wall, including carrying each a 40- to 60-pound panel for placement on the frame. Volunteers included multiple teams of student athletes from Palmyra Area High School, employees from K&K Lawn & Landscape, members of the committee, the American Legion, and other community members.

“When you get people to volunteer, to take time off of school or take a day off of work, they realize and understand the impact of this war,” said Tetz. “You know, the Vietnam veterans didn’t get treated well, so for the Vietnam veterans in our midst, they sit there and see their fellow citizens are actually doing something to honor and remember them. For the younger ones, they’re getting to learn about the war, learn about this experience for those folks.”

Co-chair Melissa Moss, also the commander at Post 831, said this area has a high population of veterans, and one of the core goals of the legion is to support them. She said she has spoken with multiple Vietnam veterans who have not been able to make it to the monument in D.C. and thanked the legion for hosting the exhibit.

“It’s called ‘The Wall That Heals’ for a reason; not only are we giving the proper welcome home to our Vietnam veterans, who didn’t get it when they came home, it gives the community an opportunity to show their honor and respect and to come out and give respect to those 58,281 names on the wall,” said Moss. “The veteran community as a whole is a brother/sisterhood. When you’re in a combat situation, you’re looking out for the person to your left and your right, and you’re doing that even once you get out of the military.

“Being able to also give our veterans an opportunity to give back to other veterans, it’s still part of that same spirit of family.”

Alongside the wall, volunteers set up a mobile education center with a timeline of the Vietnam War, artifacts from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a “Hometown Heroes” display containing local Vietnam veterans, and more.

“The mobile education is also featuring our local gentlemen that passed since they came back from the war, that’s our In Memory program,” said Moss. “So families who lost a loved one can also come and pay respects.”

After a closing ceremony, community volunteers will come together Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. to deconstruct the wall, after which it will travel to Putnam, Connecticut.

The installation, hosted by the American Legion, costs around $12,000, paid largely through community donations.

Campbelltown Community Park is at 129 Lawn Road in Palmyra.