The Wall That Heals Visits Mitch Park

Story by Darl Devault, contributing editor

Oklahomans are invited to join Veterans May 14-17 at Mitch Park in Edmond to experience The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This traveling wall honors the men and women who gave their lives in Vietnam or later died as a result of their service.
“I often enjoy walking in Mitch Park. Having the Wall that Heals there will remind me of the friends I lost during the war and the human cost of the war,” said retired Air Force Col. Chuck DeBellevue. “This will create a sacred and solemn place that helps bring a calmness to the memories of my kind and Vietnam Veterans and their families.”
DeBellevue, 80, retired to Edmond in 1998 after a distinguished 30-year military career and has since been an active speaker to members of the local and veteran communities. His story as the highly decorated last American air ace on active duty, with six aerial victories in 1972 in an F-4 Phantom
II above North Vietnam, is a source of patriotic pride and inspiration for all who hear it.
The Edmond VFW Post 4938 is hosting The Wall That Heals and is recruiting volunteers to assemble it. Through volunteer support, community partnerships, and public engagement, they invite everyone to take part in this shared act of remembrance.
The Mitch Park exhibit spans 375 feet in length and rises to 7.5 feet at
its apex, constructed of Avonite, a durable synthetic granite. It features 140 numbered panels supported by an aluminum frame.
Modern LED lighting illuminates the memorial so names can be read clearly both day and night. Visitors are welcome to do name rubbings of individual service members as a meaningful and personal way to honor those listed.
The Wall’s 140 panels contain the names of more than 58,000 Vietnam service members, 990 of whom are Oklahomans, ensuring accuracy and consistency with the original Memorial.
In addition to open viewing of The Wall, several special ceremonies and community events will take place during the four days. These moments honor specific groups, recognize service, and provide opportunities for reflection and remembrance.
May 14 – 9 a.m. Native American Vietnam Service Recognition Ceremony A ceremony honoring the service and sacrifice of Native American veterans and their Nations who served during the Vietnam War.
May 14 – 6 p.m. Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Ceremony
A long-overdue welcome home for Vietnam veterans, recognizing their service, sacrifice, and dedication.
May 15 – 6 p.m. HMONG SGU Recognition Ceremony
Honoring the Hmong Special Guerrilla Units who served alongside U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.

May 16 – 9 p.m. Light Up the Night – Oklahoma County MIA Tribute
A powerful evening tribute honoring the more than 100 Missing in Action service members from Oklahoma County during the Vietnam War. This ceremony will illuminate The Wall in remembrance of those who have not yet come home.
While traveling, the Walls That Heal are more accessible to many Oklahomans, highlighting their significance and encouraging community engagement. Oklahoma is graced with a permanent replica 80% the size of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., dedicated on Veterans Day 2013 in Enid. This replica was retired to Enid after traveling the country, measuring 380 feet long and 8 feet high at its tallest point, and made of anodized aluminum.
Gov. Mary Fallin proclaimed it Oklahoma’s Official Vietnam War Memorial. The memorial reminds patriots that freedom is not free, is open to the public and free of charge from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. year-round, encouraging ongoing engagement and respect.
The Wall stands at Woodring Regional Airport. “It is a somber reminder of those who gave their lives so we can live in freedom, and a tribute to honor our men and women who are serving or have served in the military,” said Gov. Fallin in 2013 at its dedication.
The Living Walls, located across the street from the Vietnam War Memorial in Enid, honor and remember our military heroes. It is dedicated to Oklahoma veterans, active duty, retired, MIA, those killed while serving, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, fostering pride and respect among visitors.
Just west of the site is the M.L. Becker Educational Center, a collection of permanent and temporary exhibits featuring patriotic, military and war-related memorabilia. The center won a 2019 Oklahoma Museums Association award for Education and Outreach. The center is open by appointment only for student groups, except on Vietnam Veterans Day and Memorial Days, when it is open all day.
Vietnam Veterans have been the focus of a groundswell of recognition over the past 14 years as the U.S. government has executed a sustained, multi-administration effort to provide “overdue recognition” to Vietnam-era Veterans.
The 50th Anniversary Commemoration
(2012-2025), authorized by Congress and launched in 2012, was designed to thank and honor the 9 million Americans who served on active duty between November 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975.
This congressional mandate’s primary objective was to “right a wrong” for Veterans who were often ignored or mistreated upon their initial return home.
In reaction to this effort, more than 11,000 local, state, and national organizations, such as the VFW, have partnered with the Department of Defense to host thousands of community-based events.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 codified the nation’s commitment to Vietnam Veterans by establishing March 29 as National Vietnam War Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Veterans Day.

That date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of when the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam, and the last prisoners of war were released in 1973. The act added March 29 to the list of days on which the U.S. flag should be specifically
displayed to honor these Veterans.
A central feature of the 50th-anniversary efforts has been the distribution of Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins in formal ceremonies as a “Token of Gratitude”: These pins, featuring the message “A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You,” were presented at public ceremonies to provide a “welcome home” that many never received. Since 2012, more than 3 million. Veterans have been publicly thanked at more than 21,000 ceremonies.
Most importantly, recognition has also shifted toward addressing the long-term physical toll of the war with expanded health research and benefits.
The VA launched the Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study in 2016, the most comprehensive health assessment of this Veteran group since the 1980s, focusing on the impacts of Agent Orange and PTSD. And most recently, the new PACT Act integration at the VA in recent years has been offering toxic exposure screenings and expanded healthcare enrollment specifically for Vietnam-era Veterans.