A scale model of a national memorial honoring veterans will be making its way to Howell this August.

The Wall That Heals is a ¾ size height and width recreation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Made of the same synthetic granite, Avonite, it carries all of the names, the same reflective quality, the 120 degree angle, and even the mistakes of the original in our nation’s capital. When it arrives in Howell, from August 23rd through the 26th at the Livingston County Airport, visitors will be able to feel the names as they can on the original and even take a rubbing home.

Also as part of the experience will be the presence of the Mobile Education Center. This travelling museum carries on display thousands of artifacts from soldiers and loved ones of soldiers as articles of remembrance. Tim Tetz, Director of Outreach for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said there will be 2 6-foot monitors on-site as well. One monitor will dedicated to showing the names and photos of everyone from Livingston County and the 6 surrounding counties that are on the Wall. The other will honor those who went to war and came back, but died from illnesses and injuries from their service and chose Michigan as their home of record.

As part of the organization responsible for both the Wall That Heals and the original memorial, Tetz said they ask the hosts of the Wall to have 100 to 120 volunteers available. This includes helping with set up, tear down, and assuring that it is manned 24-hours a day while on display. As such, the local host, the Livingston County Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans 125 is in need of volunteers. For more information on the Wall, visit the link below. To help volunteer, visit http://www.dav125.com. (Photo - thewallthatheals.org) (MK)