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Organizers praise volunteers after Wall That Heals visit; ask city help to house artifacts
Summary
At the June 11 El Cajon City Council meeting, parks staff and Wall El Cajon Committee leader Jeff Mueller described a heavily attended Wall That Heals visit, thanked volunteers and first responders, and asked the city to help find a place to curate items left at the memorial.
Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Adam Traunt told the El Cajon City Council on June 11 that the Wall That Heals exhibit drew strong community support when it visited the city. Traunt said the moving display was escorted through El Cajon, supported by first responders and volunteers, and that the assembled wall was "3 28 feet long and, 85 feet deep" in the photos he shared with the council. He thanked the El Cajon Police Department, Boy Scout troop 3 62, Heartland Fire and dozens of volunteers who staffed the event.
"From the minute the wall arrived until it was packed up and moving on to the next location, the police department provided safety and security to the wall and the community, and we are grateful," Traunt said.
Jeff Mueller, who the mayor identified as the Wall El Cajon Committee leader, told the council he was "so grateful" for the volunteers and sponsors who supported the multiday event. Mueller said volunteers worked around the clock in shifts; he described more than 200 volunteers and multiple shifts that provided continuous coverage.
Mueller said some personal items and envelopes were left at the base of the Wall That Heals and that he has cataloged those items. "My remaining responsibility is to find a location that is capable of curating and possibly displaying the items that were left at the base of Wall That Heals," he told the council, and he provided an email contact (wallalcajon@gmail) for anyone with leads.
City Manager Grama Mitchell told Muelller the city could explore options and said, as a worst-case scenario, "our lobby, we could probably accommodate space in our lobby" so the items could be seen by visitors to City Hall. Council members also praised the event as a unifier for the community and said it provided meaningful encounters between veterans and residents.
Mueller said the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund had expected about 7,000 visitors but organizers estimated El Cajon had "over 10,000." He also noted the wall display was open to the public for 100 hours and that the local build team assembled the display in seven hours. Mueller said he will share a slideshow and a written accounting of items left at the exhibit and asked anyone with suggestions for a curation location to contact him.
The city manager and staff agreed to follow up with suggestions for a curation site and options for displaying or housing the donated items.
