HomeMy WebLinkAbout062824 email - Bringing The Wall That Heals to Jefferson CountyALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Commissioner Dean,
I am asking for your support in bringing The Wall That Heals, a traveling three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, to Port Townsend and Jefferson
County.
I have been to both the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—The Wall—in Washington, D.C., and The Wall That Heals. As a Vietnam veteran those pilgrimages pierced the armor I built up over the
years. I touched the name of a friend and watched other vets and loved ones share silent memories with gone, but not forgotten, comrades-in-arms and family. It is very hard to describe
the feelings The Wall brings—I just know I'm not the only one to shed tears in its presence.
The Wall That Heals is a replica of the Maya Lin sculpture that broke new ground in honoring our fallen. At 375 feet long, the replica is large enough to immerse the viewer in the same
way the Vietnam Veterans Memorial does. As you approach the apex the walls rise and the names of the lost block any other view.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation brings The Wall That Heals at no expense, but has these requirements for an application to host:
* Provide a site, open to the public 24 hours a day
* Charge no admission fee for visitors
* Recruit volunteers to staff The Wall for the duration of time The Wall That Heals is on display
* Establish a committee to manage the planning and display of The Wall
* Recruit setup and breakdown teams to assemble The Wall
* Promote the event throughout the community with printed material, website and social media
* Arrange ceremonies around The Wall That Heals visit.
Our community can provide all that's needed if we work together. This is not a political issue. The Wall That Heals is a place where our community can grieve, not just for Vietnam, but
for all wars. Not just those killed in action, but also those who brought home exposure to toxic chemicals, whether Agent Orange or burn pits; those who lost limbs or came home with
PTSD.
I am asking for participation in the committee to plan for The Wall That Heals so that an application to host can be submitted. This must be a community project to succeed, and it will
benefit our community in a number of ways. But first we have to submit an application to host. We have a good chance for success in 2025 because the 2024 touring schedule missed the
Northwest. (It went from Hawaii through California and the Southwest, then the Midwest and ending on the East Coast.)
We can, and should, do this together.
Thank you,
Erik Poulsen
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund URL is vvmf dot org. The following pages are all in that domain.
The Wall That Heals (/The-Wall-That-Heals/)
Hosting The Wall That Heals (/The-Wall-That-Heals/Requesting-The-Wall-That-Heals/)
The Wall That Heals 2024 Tour Schedule (/The-Wall-That-Heals/2024-The-Wall-That-Heals-Tour-Schedule/)
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