City of Kyle Chosen to Host ‘The Wall That Heals,’ the Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial   

KYLE, TEXAS – The City of Kyle has been chosen to host The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as part of their national tour scheduled for 2023, the 50th anniversary of the close of the Vietnam War.  

The traveling exhibit honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces in the Vietnam War, and it bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. The exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a mobile Education Center. It will be on display from May 4-7, 2023, at Lake Kyle Park, 700 Lehman Rd. 

The Central Texas AMVETS Post 115 began fundraising in early 2022 to bring The Wall That Heals exhibit to Kyle. On Tuesday, Aug. 16, the Kyle City Council unanimously voted to support and fund the application and operations of hosting the exhibit in Kyle through Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. 

According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), more than 100 communities sought the opportunity to host The Wall That Heals in 2023, and only 31 were chosen, including the City of Kyle. 

“March 29th, of 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the removal of our combat troops from Vietnam. This milestone, and the 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War are prominent in the collective memory of our nation and our Vietnam veterans. We look forward to providing our host communities a healing experience for local veterans and their families and an educational experience for all visitors,” said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of VVMF. “Our ability to bring this exhibit throughout the nation to honor and remember all those who served in the Vietnam War is always important but even more on these milestone anniversaries. Even fifty years later, this generation must never forget how much we appreciate their service today.” 

The Wall That Heals is sponsored by USAA. It is able to travel across the country through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), the trucking industry, and Blue Beacon. The exhibit debuted in 1996 and since then it has been on display in more than 700 U.S. communities. The Wall That Heals is a program of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

About The Wall Replica 

The three-quarter scale replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. With the replica at this size, visitors are able to experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in D.C.  

Like the original memorial, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors are able to do name rubbings of the of individual service member’s names on The Wall. The names are listed in order of date of casualty and alphabetically on each day. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex. The first and last casualties are side by side at the apex of the Memorial. 

The replica is constructed of Avonite, a synthetic granite, and its 144 individual panels are supported by an aluminum frame. Modern LED lighting from the top of The Wall provides readability of The Wall at night.    

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The City of Kyle is located in the heart of the I-35 Innovation Corridor, just 26 miles south of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport & 50 miles north of San Antonio International Airport. Kyle is the second largest city in Hays County and is poised to become the largest — with a population that grew from 5,000 citizens in 2000 to just over 50,000 in 2020. We are the designated Pie Capital of Texas and home of the annual Pie in the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival. For more information, go to CityofKyle.com. 

@CityofKyleTX