‘The Wall That Heals’ is Kennebec Historical Society’s July presentation

GARDINER — “The Wall That Heals,” a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to the city and will be open 24 hours a day; there is no charge.
The exhibition, which will also be the subject of the Kennebec Historical Society’s July meeting, honors more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces in the Vietnam War and bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women who died in combat.

Gardiner will be among the first to host the new, larger exhibit, which includes a three-quarter scale Wall replica 375-feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. With the new replica at this size, visitors will be able to experience the wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of the wall in Washington, D.C. For the first time in the history of The Wall That Heals, visitors will be able to complete name rubbings of individual service member’s names on the wall.
Billie Ellis, of Chelsea, who will present the wall to the Kennebec Historical Society, has been promoting and making presentations about The Wall That Heals since September. She and her husband, Robert Egloff, are committed to educating the public about the wall and the Vietnam war era and bringing the wall to those unable to make the trip to Washington, D.C., is important, she said.
The Kennebec Historical Society’s July presentation is co-sponsored by Christ Episcopal Church and free to the public.
Ellis will host the presentation, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, at Christ Episcopal Church,2 Dresden Ave.