Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica assembled in D’Iberville

D’IBERVILLE, Miss. (WLOX) - Honoring the fallen and bringing a piece of history to communities across the Coast, crews spent hours on Wednesday assembling “The Wall That Heals.”

“It brings the memories back and all that...” described Vietnam War vet William Turney. “...I was lucky I came home. I flew for a year over there, and it just makes you appreciate what you’ve done and appreciate what they did, too. They didn’t get to come home; that’s the biggest thing.

“It’s a three-quarter scale replica of the wall that’s in Washington, D.C., and we’re here to honor all of those that not only paid the ultimate sacrifice, but also those that had survived Vietnam and later came home to their families as well,” said site manager Rodney Gonsalves.

With precision and care, volunteers bring the replica to life.

“We call this ‘The Wall That Heals’ for a reason,” added Gonsalves. “Because we want them to begin the healing process, and for many of them, it is the beginning of the healing process and it’s something they’ve needed for so many years. When our veterans came home during the Vietnam era, things were totally different. They didn’t receive the handshakes and the hugs and parades . . . We want to make sure when we’re carrying these panels that if their light enough, we can have them facing up with the names facing upward towards the heavens. If they’re big, we carry them vertical with the names facing away from the person so we don’t scratch the panels as well.”

Airmen from Keesler Air Force Base and D’Iberville Public Works spent several hours constructing the wall.

“It’s an honor to me, actually,” said T.J. O’Neal with D’Iberville Parks & Recreation. “I feel that they trust me to do it. I know I can do a good job. I think it’s an honor they chose D’Iberville to come bring the wall to.”

“Sometimes, people forget how hard these sacrifices these soldiers make are,” noted J.T. Baxter with D’Iberville Parks & Recreation.

From travel to its construction, the replica requires a lot of work and many volunteers. However, crew members all agree on one thing: it’s worth it.

“To us, it’s a big honor because not everyone is able to go to Washington, D.C., so if they can’t come to Washington, we bring it to them,” said Gonsalves. “That’s why we do this. It’s quite an honor.”

Visitors can visit the wall at the Bobby Eleuterius Sports Complex through Sunday afternoon.

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