Montgomery Township to Host The Wall That Heals July 10–13 at Wendell Stray Park

Montgomery Township will host The Wall That Heals — a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial — at Wendell Stray Park from July 10 through July 13, township hosts said on the Montgomery Township podcast.

"The Wall That Heals is a 3 quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial," said Tim Tetz, director of outreach for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, who joined the township podcast to preview the event. The exhibit travels with a mobile education center described by Tetz as a 53-foot trailer that opens into displays and educational panels.

Why it matters: organizers say the traveling exhibit brings the memorial experience to communities that might not travel to Washington, D.C., and pairs the wall with a museum-like education center and guided tours intended to deepen visitors’ understanding of the war and its legacy.

What to expect: The mobile education center contains five display panels (including county-specific 'hometown heroes' and a Pennsylvania 'in memory' screen), a timeline of the war and cabinets holding items from the Washington collection. Tetz said the exhibit displays some of the roughly 400,000 items left at the national wall and will show the photographs of the 58,281 men and women on the memorial’s wall.

Schedule and logistics: The trailer is scheduled to arrive Tuesday, July 8, with volunteers assembling the wall on Wednesday, July 9. Organizers said the build takes about six hours with two Fund staff on site to supervise. The public display will be open 24 hours while on site; the exhibit will be available to visitors July 10–13 and will close at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 13 to allow the exhibit to be packed and moved to its next stop.

Volunteer and sponsor roles: Township co-chair and staff member Deb Rivas said volunteers will help with greeting visitors, finding names on the wall, parking and escorting visitors with mobility needs. Rivas said sponsorships and in-kind donations will support volunteer needs such as golf carts, refreshments and other supplies. "We have opportunities for folks to volunteer at the wall," she said, adding links on the township site and a sign-up system for shifts.

Accessibility and ceremonies: Organizers said they will provide electric golf carts, volunteers to transport people from parking areas, wheelchairs and ADA-accessible restrooms, and additional portable toilets. Rivas outlined daily wreath-laying ceremonies at noon (Thursday–Saturday) and a Friday-evening PTSD candle ceremony in which the wall will be illuminated in teal and local veterans will read the names of 136 Montgomery County service members represented on the memorial.

How the exhibit is selected and supported: Tetz said host selection emphasizes community engagement and readiness rather than population size; Montgomery Township was chosen from 141 applicants. The Fund provides host training, including multiple Zoom sessions and local committee support to plan volunteer operations and visitor services.

How to get involved: Organizers advised visitors and volunteers to check monttwp.org/thewallthatheals and thewallthatheals.org for information and sign-ups. The township also plans local outreach (posters, coasters with QR codes and social posts) and will coordinate with local media as the event approaches.

What organizers hope visitors take away: Tetz and Rivas said the goal is for visitors of all ages to spend time with the exhibit, learn the history behind the memorial, and reflect on veterans’ experiences. "I hope that they sit there and they walk away with a better understanding of what this war was like," Tetz said. Rivas said she hopes volunteers "walk away feeling like, wow. I was really part of something really special."