"The Wall that Heals" opens in Tarboro

Town leaders in Tarboro have transformed their park into a somber memorial mirroring one in our nation's capital.

The Vietnam War was a conflict that fractured our country, and "The Wall that Heals" travels the country to bridge that divide.

"When our young men came back, they came back at a time when the nation didn't appreciate some of the things they did. This is a chance that we can rectify our wrong, and we can tell those men thank you for that sacrifice. And we can give some closure to the families who didn't get that closure," said Master Sergeant Casey Garrett, an Air Force Junior ROTC teacher.

Constructed in Braswell Park, the wall is modeled after the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. It displays more than 58,000 names of veterans who fought and died for our country.

For Garrett, the replica hits home. "My dad did two tours, back to back tours in Vietnam and was a corpsman. He was stationed with the Marines and I remember some of the stories that he told me of the ultimate sacrifice that these men made for our freedoms that we have today," he said.

One Vietnam veteran, Harvey Lawrence, appreciated the meaning behind the wall but said there is still more to be done for veterans. "A lot of soldiers out here committing suicide and stuff that need to get done. We need to get some help for the soldiers that need, actually need help," he said. He emphasized their current needs returning from the war, like a higher risk of suicide for veterans.​

The memorial opening ceremony, held Thursday at 5:00 p.m., included music from the Navy Fleet Band of Norfolk, a flyover from an air force base, and a Presentation of the Colors from ROTC cadets.

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A replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in our nation's capital is now on display here in Eastern Carolina.

The Wall that Heals is at Braswell Park in Tarboro beginning Thursday morning.

The memorial allows people in the east to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war.

An opening ceremony will take place at 5 pm Thursday with a flyover from Seymour Johnson AFB and music from the Navy Fleet Band of Norfolk.

The memorial will be on display until Sunday at 2 pm.

Hundreds gathered throughout one Eastern Carolina County to remember local service members killed in one of the country's longest wars.

"The Wall That Heals" is a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. and Tuesday it went from Rocky Mount to Tarboro where it will stay through the weekend.

In Pinetops folks gathered to remember five service members with ties to the town who were killed in action during the war. Ruffin Hyman was 12 when his brother William Hyman was killed during the summer of 1969 and he went on to serve in the Army like his fallen brother. He raised his hand to salute the memorial replica as it was driven through their hometown.

He's seen the Vietnam Wall in D.C., but he knows many lining the streets from Pinetops to Tarboro haven't seen it, and this traveling replica gives them the chance to pay respects.

"It means a lot to me. I'm just proud of it. I've been a service member for 20 years, I have to be proud of it," said Hyman.

Pinetops Mayor Steve Burress says the sacrifice of the five men killed in Vietnam has gone without a celebration for too long. The arrival of the moving wall gave the town the chance to honor it and with a remembrance display in the town gazebo.

"We're trying to make sure when the day is over when next week's over when we close up that there's no reason for anybody not to know who from Pinetops died in the Vietnam War," said Burress.

Vietnam veteran and Pinetops native Dennis Sugg hopes that will help the next generation find new ways to serve and honor his fallen comrades.

"I think the wall is one of those symbols that help put closure to a pretty difficult era in our lives," said Sugg.

The families of each of those five fallen service members were each given a flag as a token of gratitude from the town of Pinetops.

"The Wall That Heals" will open to the public at Braswell Park around the clock in Tarboro from Thursday through Sunday. Opening ceremonies will be at 5 p.m. Thursday with a flyover from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and music from the Navy Fleet Band out of Norfolk.