Local News

Maui vets need help bringing The Wall That Heals to island

Panned by critics for its simplicity when it opened on a two-acre site near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has gone on to become one of the capital's top five most visited sites, drawing 5.5 million visitors last year.

It is inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 American men and women who gave their lives in the war or remain missing. Often called "The Wall," the memorial has become a powerful place of national and personal healing, of coming to terms with America's divisive war in Southeast Asia. The names are etched in two identical black granite walls that each extend 246 feet and 9 inches. Designer Maya Lin used simplicity and lack of military or political iconography to make the fallen soldiers' names and sacrifices focal points.

Maui residents and guests will soon have a chance to experience the power of the memorial firsthand, and without leaving the island. The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica wall complete with a mobile Education Center is scheduled to be at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku, Feb. 9-13. The Wall That Heals will be open 24 hours a day and free to enter. The mobile exhibit is a program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and will be hosted by the Maui County Veterans Council in conjunction with the County of Maui.

Maui Vietnam vet Bo Mahoe said having the replica wall on Maui provides opportunities for those who may not be able to make the long trip to Washington.

"It takes a lot of money, energy, emotion and time for a single veteran to travel to our nation's capital and see The Wall," Mahoe said. "Now we have this great opportunity to have The Wall travel to our shores."

Mahoe grew up in Lahaina and was drafted into the U.S. Army after graduating from St. Louis School on Oahu.

"I was drafted, a reluctant solider who was put into the infantry at Uncle Sam's discretion and served in the jungles of Vietnam," Mahoe said. "There are names on The Wall that I have very direct and personal relationships with. We all have a different connection to it. Mine was just more amplified because I was on the front lines."

Mahoe said it is good that the replica wall will be open around the clock, for many vets choose late-night or early-morning hours so they can be alone with their memories and feelings.

Some folks may recall a half-scale model of The Wall paying visits to the island in 1987 and 1993. After a 30-year break, The Wall That Heals is set make its first appearance here, arriving by barge after a stint in Hilo. Longtime Maui veterans advocate Janna Hoehn says the logistics have been so challenging it may be the first and last.

"I think this is a once in a lifetime event, " Hoehn said. "This is absolutely a dream come true for me."

Hoehn spent countless volunteer hours over 12 years helping track down photos of every fallen solider on The Wall for the on-line memorial, Wall of Faces. She started by finding photos of the 42 Maui Vietnam War veterans killed in the conflict and continued sleuthing right up the final name, collecting and posting more than 8,000 photos along the way.

Hoehn is serving as the event's Head of Sponsorship and says it could really use some financial help.

"It's a lot to bring it here," Hoehn said. "We're all working hard, trying to get sponsorships, trying to get donations because we're still trying to raise money. We also need volunteers while it is here. It's going to be open 24 hours a day."

Hoehn can be contacted about sponsorships at (808)276-5455 or mauifloralelegance@gmail.com. To volunteer, contact Volunteer Coordinator Chelsea Fernandez at (808)258-3505 or mauifloralelegance@gmail.com. For more information about the event, contact Event Chairman Aris Banaag at (808)870-6134 or twthmaui@gmail.com.