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WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP, Minnesota (WCCO) — A crowd gathered in White Bear Township, Minnesota, to honor the men and women who died during the Vietnam War as a traveling memorial brought a piece of the nation’s history closer to home.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., gave visitors a chance to reflect on the more than 58,000 service members whose names are etched into the wall.
“We’ve been to over 800 communities in 49 states in the last two years,” said Tim Tetz, site manager for The Wall That Heals.
Tetz said bringing the memorial directly to communities allows people more time to connect with the names and stories behind the wall.
“When you go to Washington, D.C., you have 10 minutes to visit the Vietnam Memorial, 10 minutes to visit the Korean War Memorial, 10 minutes to visit the Lincoln Memorial, and then the Smithsonian,” Tetz said. “You have so many things that you want to do because you’re only there for a limited number of days. Having it here, having it in your community, you can carve out that time and say, ‘OK, let’s relearn this.'”
For Sue Prachar, the visit was a chance to honor her brother.
“It’s right here, Gerald Riedlberger,” Prachar said as she found his name on the wall.
Prachar said she has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, but having the replica in her community gave her another opportunity to remember her brother.
“I have to honor him whenever I can,” she said.
Prachar still remembers the day her family learned Riedlberger had died.
“His body came back on my dad’s birthday,” she said. “My mother was the one that answered the door with the servicemen. We knew exactly what happened.”
Prachar said her brother’s service remains a source of pride.
“He did something honorable. And we are proud of him,” she said.
Vietnam veteran Dave Britz also visited the memorial to remember friends he lost.
“I have some friends that are on the wall,” Britz said. “I have a few others that passed away from Agent Orange.”
Britz said the memorial is a reminder of the sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans and a chance to recognize those in the crowd who also served.
“When I see a vet like today and everyone that had a Vietnam vet hat or shirt or whatever on, I went over and I just said, ‘Welcome home,'” Britz said.
The Wall That Heals will continue its visit in White Bear Township through the Aug. 9, giving visitors a chance to remember those who served and those who never came home.
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