Visitors to “The Wall That Heals” make a rubbing of a name inscribed on a panel. The traveling exhibit honors the 58,261 service members who were killed or went missing in the Viet Nam War. (Photos courtesy of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce)

“The Wall That Heals,” a three-quarter scale replica of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be on display July 24-27 at the Tim Osmond Sports Complex in Antioch.

Along with a mobile education center, the exhibit will be open and manned by volunteers on a 24/7 basis, closing at 2 p.m. July 27

Largely through the efforts of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, and Barbara Porch, its executive director, the municipality was selected as one of 31 host locations in 2025. A pool of 163 communities had applied for the honor which carries a strict adherence to the decorum and protocols observed at the monument in the nation’s capitol.

The display is being installed as panels are linked together in a chevron configuration the day before the official opening ceremony. Handlers must wear white gloves while erecting and dismantling the display. Antioch American Legion Post 748 is also sponsoring the traveling memorial.

Visitors to the site are encouraged to make rubbings from the wall, where the names of family members or friends are listed. The education center contains an index showing the actual position of a given name honored on the wall.

The original memorial honors more than 58,000 service members, who died or went missing during the Viet Nam War. It was designed by artist Maya Lin as two long black granite walls that are 246 feet each in a “V” shape, with the names inscribed. The site draws nearly 5 million visitors annually as a reflective and healing place.

“The Antioch Chamber has been interested in hosting this for several years,” said Porch. “The chamber applied in 2024, and was successful in being given the opportunity to host. We feel that Antioch is a perfect place to host because of the willingness of our residents and those in the surrounding communities to become involved.

Antioch will play host to “The Wall That Heals” on a 24/7 basis, from July 24-27 at the Tim Osmond Sports Complex, 38 Depot St.

“It is important for young people of today to look forward to the future, but equally important for them to look back and learn what our country experienced to bring us to the present day,” Porch said. “There are so many things to learn about history. The Viet Nam Veterans Memorial is an outstanding salute to our veterans, and we hope young people learn by visiting.”

Experiencing the replica and spending time at the site is free.

Volunteers will also be on-site to answer questions and give tours. Modern LED lighting is being employed to improve readability, day or night.

“This is a tremendous undertaking by the volunteers, who will be there all night, to be a presence and assist visitors,” said Cruzanne Lewis, a chamber member. “There is a strict decorum observed … as an example, it is positioned in such a way that no car headlights will shine on the memorial.”

The positioning is similar to a key feature of the original memorial, as the exhibit rises above visitors and reaches an apex. The traveling exhibit honors the more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Viet Nam War.

The landscaping and natural surroundings of the Osmond Sports Complex at 38 Depot St. adds a somber tone. Prior to Antioch, the exhibit made a stop in Montgomery Township, Pennsylvania. The Viet Nam Memorial Fund sees to the physical needs of the national memorial and administers the schedule for the exhibit, now in its 30th year.

“Proud is just one word that describes the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and the Antioch community to be one of the hosting locations for ‘The Wall That Heals’ in 2025,” said Porch.

The opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. July 24. A Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ceremony will be at 9 a.m. July 25.

A ceremony, “Eight Women On The Wall – A Nursing Tribute,” takes place at 8 a.m. July 26. Closing ceremonies are scheduled at 1:45 p.m. July 27.