BROOKINGS – Vietnam War veterans from South Dakota who returned home from service but later died as a result of their time in the war are eligible to be honored at a traveling exhibit coming to Brookings in June.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will be at the Fishback Soccer Complex on June 11-14.
Family and friends are encouraged to submit the names of eligible veterans to be honored through In Memory, which is part of the mobile Education Center exhibit. The deadline to submit is May 11.
“We want to honor as many Vietnam veterans from South Dakota as possible,” Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Kristin Zimmerman said. She is leading the local The Wall That Heals committee.
“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 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund so their veteran can be on display in Brookings,” she said.
The May 11 deadline will ensure selected honorees can be included in the local display. There is no cost to have a veteran honored and the application process is simple. 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, veterans honored through the In Memory also will receive:
• An online personal remembrance page 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, go to www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll.
• An invitation to In Memory weekend in Washington, D.C., which includes a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where each honoree’s name will be read aloud. Each applicant also receives a printed personal tribute certificate with their veteran’s photo.
Since the Vietnam War ended in April 1975, thousands of Vietnam veterans have suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses as a result of their service. The VVMF believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. 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.
“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 and manages The Wall That Heals and In Memory programs. The nonprofit also founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the nation’s capital in 1982.
“More than 3 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,” Knotts said.
For more information on The Wall That Heals exhibit’s visit to Brookings, go to www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/TheWallThatHealsBrookings.
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