Vietnam Veterans who Died After Returning Home from Vietnam Eligible to be Honored at The Wall That Heals Exhibit in Kyle

WEBSITE: CityofKyle.com/TheWallThatHeals  

KYLE, TEXAS — The City of Kyle is honored to host The Wall That Heals this coming May 4-7 at Lake Kyle Park. 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 In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them to be forever memorialized. 

All veterans from Texas 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 in Kyle, TX from May 4-7.  

“We want to honor as many Vietnam Veterans from Hays County as possible,” said Central Texas AMVETs Post 115 Commander Kerman Hammond. “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 to VVMF so their veteran can be on display in Kyle.” 

There is no cost to have a veteran honored and the application process is simple. To honor a veteran, visit VVMF.org/InMemory, 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. Applications must be submitted to VVMF by Tuesday, April 4 in order to have the veteran honored while The Wall That Heals is on display in Kyle, TX.  March 29, 2023, is the National deadline of applications to be honored in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund June 2023 In Memory ceremony in Washington D.C. Any applications submitted after March 29, 2023, will be honored in the 2024 ceremony. 

“The impact of the Vietnam War stretches far beyond the 58,281 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 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,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built and continues to care for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. and manages The Wall That Heals and In Memory programs.  

In addition to their photo being on display, having a veteran honored through In Memory includes: 

• As part of the In Memory Honor Roll, an online personal remembrance page is created for each honoree with their photo and biographical information. Family members can share the page and leave remembrances about their loved one. To see the Honor Roll, visit VVMF.org/Honor-Roll.  
• An invitation to In Memory weekend in Washington, D.C., which includes a touching 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).   

For more information on The Wall That Heals visit to Kyle, TX, and the In Memory program visit, CityofKyle.com/TheWallThatHeals. 

The City of Kyle is currently looking for volunteers and donations to help staff and fund The Wall That Heals exhibit while it is in Kyle, TX. Along with already secured funding, the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary 115 along with AMVETS Post 115 are raising the remainder of the funds needed for operations and supplies for volunteers while The Wall That Heals is in Kyle. If you are interested in donating, or volunteering visit CityofKyle.com/TheWallThatHeals.  

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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.