For four days this May, the City of Kyle will be hosting a special tribute that touches on one of the most painful periods in United States history. Along with the city, Central Texas AMVETS Post 115 will be welcoming The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, D.C. Visiting the wall is free, and everyone in the community is invited to come out to learn about the memorial and the Americans it honors.
When and Where
It’s fitting that the wall will be in town just a few weeks before Memorial Day, and it will stop in Kyle May 4-7. Visitors can stop by the wall’s location at Lake Kyle Park, 700 Lehman Road, 24 hours a day before it closes at 2 PM on May 7. LED lighting will provide readability during nighttime hours.
Before the wall is set up and opened for public viewing, it will arrive in Kyle on May 2, with an opening ceremony on May 4 at 9 AM. The opening ceremony is open to everyone, and veteran Stuart Hoyt will speak along with a prayer by Rev. Kenneth Bell and the playing of Taps. A closing ceremony, along with prayer and playing of Taps, will also be held at 1:30 PM on the final day of its stop in Kyle.
While parents are encouraged to bring along their children, no pets other than service animals will be permitted. Volunteers are also needed to help with crowd control, greeting visitors, and assist with finding names on the wall.
A Chance to Remember, Honor, and Heal
The Vietnam War was unlike any other war in the history of the United States, and it claimed the lives of over 58,000 Americans over the course of two decades.
The Wall That Heals is modeled after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was erected in our nation’s capitol in 1982. Designed by architect Maya Lin, the memorial is composed of 72 black granite panels, which stand just over 10 feet at their highest apex and taper down to 8 inches along the wall’s length of 493 feet and 6 inches.
While The Wall That Heals is a replica, its dimensions are slightly different. It stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point and stretches 375 feet. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful statement of patriotism and the ultimate sacrifice made by the soldiers who died in combat or remain missing.
Launched in 1996 by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, The Wall That Heals offers a chance for those who may not be able to visit the D.C. memorial an opportunity to pay their respects to the names inscribed on its granite panels.
To date, the traveling memorial has visited almost 700 communities and impacted countless visitors. During its 2021 season alone, the wall traveled 13,000 miles around the United States, offering an opportunity for more than 200,000 visitors to remember, honor, and heal.
Kyle is truly fortunate to have the opportunity to host such an important memorial to military veterans and their families. It’s events like this that make this community such a wonderful place to call home. If you’d like to learn more about what makes Kyle great, contact the Crosswinds team.