Warrensburg residents and students will have the chance to see The Wall That Heals June 29 – July 2 on the UCM campus.

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The McClure Archives and University Museum will host “The Wall That Heals,” which is a 250-foot, half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, on the west lawn of the James C. Kirkpatrick Library.

In addition, a Mobile Education Center that accompanies the exhibit, will be set up across Missouri Street. The Mobile Education Center is an exhibit that presents the history of the Vietnam War, displaying images of those listed on the wall from Johnson County and also neighboring counties.

There will also be a listing of the names with their precise location on the wall, enabling friends and family to find a specific name.

The wall includes the names of more than 58,000 service members who died or remain missing from their military service in the Vietnam War. Their names, which include 10 Johnson Countians, are listed along the chevron-shaped display by day of casualty.

McClure Archives and University Museum director Amber Clifford-Napoleone is supervising the event, while the Provost’s Office is sponsoring the cost of hosting the exhibit over the four-day period.

UCM also is helping to gather and share veterans’ stories leading up to the nation’s 50th anniversary observance of the Vietnam War in 2025.

The wall is expected to arrive sometime Wednesday morning with some fanfare, according to Warrensburg Police Chief Rich Lockhart.

“The Wall That Heals will be escorted from Lee's Summit to Warrrensburg by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. They'll leave there around 8:30 or 9 and arrive here (in Warrensburg) on Highway 50, and take Maguire south to Missouri to the campus of UCM,” Lockhart said.

“They will be escorted by up to 400 American Legion Riders. So expect some traffic delays along Maguire Street in the 10 – 11 a.m. hour,” the police chief told KSIS Radio.

The Wall That Heals is scheduled to open at sunrise with a brief ceremony at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, and is expected to remain open to the public and staffed 24 hours a day until it closes at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 2.

At 6 p.m. Thursday in the Alumni Memorial Chapel, there will be a special memorial service commemorating the Vietnam War. It will honor those who served and their families, and recognize local veterans whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Col. Gary Gilmore, senior Army chaplain with the Missouri Army National Guard, will officiate.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Friday in Twomey Auditorium, Wood Building 100 for an advance preview of Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s documentary, “The Vietnam War,” as well as a panel discussion featuring local Vietnam War veterans and civilian workers, thanks to KMOS-TV, UCM’s public television.

The Veterans Stand-Down is planned for 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the ballroom of the Elliott Student Union. Veterans’ organizations, health services representatives, and medical professionals will offer free assistance to veterans. Participants are encouraged to bring their DD Form 214 or other identification.

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