For 40 years, the memorial to Vietnam War veterans in Washington, D.C., has stood as one of the most solemn and meaningful reminders of the sacrifices that military members have made in service to their country. Inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 servicemembers who were missing or killed in action, the black paneled wall has been a place of memory, solace, and healing for veterans and their families scarred by one of America’s longest and costliest wars.

Most people never get a chance to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to understand the scope of the sacrifice of those named on that wall. But local community members and a national nonprofit group hope that if they bring a mobile replica of that monument to Warren County, those that live here will take the chance to visit, learn, and pay their respects.

From Sept. 8-11, The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will travel to Warrenton and be on 24-hour display at the Warrenton Athletic Complex on Hickory Lick Road. Also traveling with the memorial is a volunteer-guided educational museum built into the rear of a semi-truck trailer.

The exhibits open to visitors at 6 p.m. Sept. 8 and will remain open day and night until 1:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Warrenton will be among about 30 communities that the mobile memorial visits this year.

“We try to provide the same experience as you would have in Washington, D.C.,” said Vic Muschler, a Wall That Heals site manager for Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the nonprofit that built the original monument and now provides the mobile replica.

Muschler, a resident of Warrenton, said the memorial and exhibits are meant to help people understand the deeply felt impact of the Vietnam War for the nation, for veterans who came home with physical and mental scars, and for families who lost their loved ones.

“This is the only place in the country you’ll see a small portion of the items left at the wall in Washington, D.C.,” Muschler said. “We want visitors to come show respect for the men and women who fought for our nation ... and understand the sacrifices, not only of our men and women that served and died, but also the sacrifices of those families.”

Even before the exhibit is available, community members will have a chance to see and pay their respects to the truck carrying the exhibits as it is guided into Warrenton by a motorcycle escort at around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Stacey Blondin, one of the local organizers helping to coordinate the memorial’s visit, said an extensive volunteer effort is needed to help make the memorial possible. She said around 30 people have been helping to plan every facet of the exhibit here, and that significantly more are needed to assist visitors during the four-day exhibit.

“We all need to be stepping up and doing our part to remember these veterans,” Blondin said. “Volunteers will learn a different side of the respect for these men and women, and be able to carry that forward.”

Whether you’re young or old, available for an hour or a day, organizers will take all the help they can get to help make the memorial’s visit a success. They also welcome any donations to help offset material and logistical costs for the event. Any excess fundraising will go to the Tribute to Veterans Memorial in Warrenton.

Volunteers will gather for volunteer training at the Warrenton Athletic Complex on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m.

Anyone interested in supporting The Wall That Heals may contact Blondin at 314-713-1463, or Amanda Lefholz at 636-345-3128.