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PLYMOUTH — The Wall That Heals — a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center — is coming to Plymouth in 2019.
The Wall will be staged at Huber Stadium Sept. 5 through Sept. 8 and will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public.
The Wall That Heals 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 more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Clyde Peters, a Vietnam veteran and manager of the Plymouth Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1425, spearheaded the effort to bring the Wall to his hometown.
“I’m a Vietnam veteran who served in Vietnam in 1968-69 with the big Red One,” Peters said. “I want to bring the Wall that Heals to Plymouth, a small town of 5,500 people. We lost seven brave men in the Vietnam War and I want to bring them home to Plymouth so people can honor them.
Peters said bringing the Wall to Plymouth means a lot to him because one of those young men killed in Vietnam was his nephew, David Lee, who was 18 when he was killed.
“I was in Vietnam when David was killed and I brought him home,” peters said. “He was my sister’s son. I need this to happen to honor all those who gave there lives for us.”
Peters is asking for donations to help offset costs associated with bringing the wall to town. He said approximately 150 volunteers are needed throughout the campaign for the event.
• To donate, send checks to The Wall That Heals, c/o Plymouth VFW Post 1425, 111 West Main St., Plymouth, PA. 18651.
• To sign up to be a volunteer, contact Clyde Peters, manager at the Plymouth VFW Post 1425, at 570-779-9327, after 4 p.m.
Peters said the wall will arrive in Plymouth on Sept. 3 with a full military escort.
“We want to honor all of our fallen heroes from Plymouth and to honor all the fallen heroes of Vietnam and all wars,” Peters said. “We will never forget them and what they sacrificed for all of us.”
The had seven young men from Plymouth who were killed in Vietnam are:
• Leonard Bish, Army, killed May 16, 1967.
• Sterling Coates, Marines, killed July 2, 1967.
• Frank Glowiak, Army, killed Oct. 27, 1966.
• David Lee, Army, killed April 22, 1969.
• Edison Phillips, Army, killed May 21, 1969.
• Joseph Sinkewicz, Marines, killed Feb. 26, 1968.
• Daniel Witko, Army, killed June 18, 1968.
About the Wall
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 more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in our nation’s capital, with nearly 5.3 million visitors each year. However, many Americans have not been able to visit what has become known to many as “The Wall.” VVMF, the nonprofit organization that built The Wall in 1982, wants to give all veterans and their family members across America an opportunity to see the Memorial.
“We received more than 100 applications to host The Wall That Heals in 2019 and we are excited to announce the cities that we’ve selected as hosts for next year,” said Jim Knotts, president/CEO of VVMF. “The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit provides thousands of veterans and their family members the chance to visit The Wall and honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed. Hosting the exhibit gives veterans an opportunity for healing and provides an educational experience for the whole community on the impact of the Vietnam War on America.”
The three-quarter scale Wall 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 toward the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in Washington.
Like the original Memorial, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron-shape and visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall. The names are listed in order of date of casualty and alphabetically on each day.
The Wall That Heals is transported from community to community in a 53-foot trailer. When parked, the trailer opens with exhibits built into its sides, allowing it to serve as a mobile Education Center telling the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the divisive era in American history.
About Clyde Peters
State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, recently presented a Pennsylvania Senate citation to Peters for his continuing efforts to help area veterans. Peters was also recently honored by the Back Mountain Men’s Ecumenical Group for his dedicated military service.
Peters is a Vietnam veteran who served with distinction. He was a member of Company A, 2nd Infantry Regiment, and Company A, 28th Infantry Regiment, of the U.S. Army when his unit was ambushed on Thanksgiving Day 1968.
Peters risked his own life to save a fellow soldier and was wounded in action.
He is the manager of VFW Post 1425 and a member of American Legion Post 468.
Peters was instrumental in the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Plymouth and helped to restore the Honor Roll at Second and Reynolds streets in Plymouth.
