For the Tomahawk Leader

RHINELANDER – The Wall That Heals will be on display at Nicolet College in Rhinelander in May, and as part of the exhibit, local Vietnam veterans who died after returning home are eligible to be honored as part of the In Memory Honor Roll display. 

Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service.

“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service,” a release from Nicolet said. “The In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized.”

All veterans from Wisconsin honored through In Memory will have their photos and names on display as part of the mobile Education Center exhibit when The Wall That Heals is at Nicolet College from May 18 to May 21. 

“We want to honor as many Vietnam veterans from Wisconsin as possible,” said Casey Lehmann, Financial Aid Advisor and The Wall That Heals-Nicolet College Site Host. “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. We’re asking for the public’s help to identify eligible veterans and get their applications into VVMF so their veteran can be on display in Rhinelander.” 

There is no cost to have a veteran honored. To honor a loved one, complete a short application and submit the veteran’s DD214 showing their proof of service in Vietnam, a copy of their death certificate and two photographs.

Additional information on the In Memory program and the application form can be found at www.vvmf.org/inmemory. 

In addition to The Wall That Heals display, having a veteran honored through In Memory includes:

• An online personal remembrance page is created for each honoree with their photo and biographical information, as part of the In Memory Honor Roll. Family members can share the page and leave remembrances about their loved one. To see the Honor Roll, visit www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/. 
• An invitation to In Memory weekend in Washington, D.C., which includes a ceremony on the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where each honoree’s name is read aloud. Each applicant also receives a printed personal tribute certificate with their veteran’s photo(s).

The plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C. that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2004 and a replica plaque is part of The Wall That Heals exhibit. It reads: “In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”

“The impact of the Vietnam War stretches far beyond the 58,281 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,” said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982 and manages The Wall That Heals and In Memory programs.” More than three million Americans served in Vietnam and an untold number of those who served have suffered from service-connected illnesses. No one knew that when the war ended, Vietnam veterans and their families would still be feeling the effects of their service more than 50 years later. In Memory is our way to honor these Vietnam veterans for the sacrifices they made.”

For more information on The Wall That Heals coming to Nicolet College, visit www.bit.ly/3YiA4RO.