Replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall on public display in Hawai‘i for the first time ever

Veteran Michael Doolittle, who served in the 22nd Infantry with the U.S. Army, knows 400 names etched on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, which was built in 1982 in Washington D.C. to honor those lost nearly 60 years ago during the war.

Last year, the 79-year-old Doolittle of Hakalau saw those names, 55 of whom died in a single day, when he traveled to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to help put up the memorial’s replica — The Wall That Heals.

Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in more than 700 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. But now, for the first time since, The Wall That Heals is in the State of Hawai‘i.

It was erected in a grassy field along the Hilo Bayfront, and beginning today it will be open to visitation 24 hours a day with several public events to honor veterans who fought and lost their lives during the Vietnam War. A closing ceremony will take place on Saturday.

“To visit the wall in the comfort of their hometown, it’s the ultimate show of respect,” said
Doolittle, who served two tours in Vietnam.

A mobile Education Center with volunteers from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund also will be onsite. Click here for more information.

The wall’s 4,000-mile journey from Kansas was made possible by nonprofits Hawai‘i Island Veterans Memorial and the D.C.-based Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which founded the permanent memorial in the Nation’s Capital.

The County of Hawai‘i helped fund the wall’s $85,000 shipping cost. The exhibit will move to the island of Maui and be escorted on Feb. 7, set up on the 8th for viewing 24 hours a day from Feb. 9 until closing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 13.

On Tuesday, Doolittle escorted a panel of names to the wall that included his friend James Dale Brewer, who died in combat.

Doolittle was emotional, saying words couldn’t describe the day as volunteers from the Big Island community, Hawai‘i Island police recruits, younger generation veterans and Hawai‘i County workers came together to assemble the three-quarter scale wall replica that stands 375 feet long and 7 1/2 feet at its tallest point.

“This is a welcome home to veterans who weren’t welcomed after the war,” Dolittle said. “It’s for wounded veterans who felt marginalized and for families to honor their loved ones.”

The traveling exhibit bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. It also honors the more than three million people who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the war.

“I’m honored I’m still here and my name is not on the wall,” Doolittle said.

He expects 50,000 people to visit the wall to pay respect during its time on the Bayfront.

Hawai‘i Island police officer and training cadre Wayne Kenison took his recruits down to the wall on Tuesday to help for hours with the setup of the frame, lights, panels and sound system.

Kenison served 11 years in the Army National Guard and was deployed on two tours in Iraq, the first from 2004 to 2006 and the second from 2007 to 2009. The 41-year-old said he was amazed at how far the wall came to be here.

Instructions were to wear gloves and not put it on the ground.

“The names reach up to the heavens,” he said. “They honored it as if it was the wall itself.”
Family members who have loved ones etched on the wall had the opportunity to escort the panel with that name to the frame.

“I feel like, as a veteran, people forget as time goes by the sacrifices that were made,” Kenison
said. “These people should never be forgotten.”

After serving in Vietnam, Doolittle remembers being told not to wear his uniform when he returned to the United States. There was no hero’s welcome. They were called baby killers and spat on.

It was not until 2017 that Doolittle, who served from December 1966 to 1968, was first able to talk about his experiences including the historic Suoi Tre battle, where 51 Americans were killed and more than 200 were wounded.

“When you come out of 50 years of silence it’s therapeutic but it’s pulling all those emotions to the front of your life,” he said.

Ben Fuata, a 62-year-old Desert Storm and Gulf War veteran, said it was his wife, Teresa, who asked him what it would take to bring the wall replica to the Big Island after she went to Washington D.C. to honor her father. She registered him with the In Memory program after he passed away from effects of Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide used during the war to control vegetation.

“This wasn’t a Hilo thing. This wasn’t a Big Island thing. This was a Hawai‘i thing,” said Fuata, who works with Doolittle.

Fuata is looking forward to the entire week, pointing out that on Thursday, a solemn ceremony is planned to honor those inducted into the In Memory program, including his wife’s father.

Fuata said the wall offers closure.

“We realize that we did a disservice to our Vietnam veterans,” Fuata said. “We can’t rewrite history, but we can recognize them for their service and welcome them home.”

A 53-foot trailer carried The Wall That Heals to its location and was escorted by a procession of motorcycles and local first responders.

Those coming to see the wall are asked to approach the exhibit from the east and park in Visitor Parking. Overflow parking is across Kamehameha Highway.

For those who want to see the wall, Hawai‘i County is offering a shuttle service to seniors and veterans who live around the island. On Wednesday, a shuttle will be offered in the following locations:

• Yano Hall, 82-6145 Māmalahoa Highway in Captain Cook
• West Hawai‘i Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kailua-Kona
• Lily Yoshimatsu Senior Center, 67-1199 Māmalahoa Highway in Kamuela
• Hau‘oli Senior Center, 45-540 Koniaka Place in Honoka‘a
• Ka‘ū Community Center, 96 Kamani St. #1149 in Pāhala
• Pāhoa Senior Center, 15-3016 Kauhale St. in Pāhoa

Shuttles leave at 7 a.m.

Shuttle services will be offered on Saturday at West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Lily Yoshimatsu Senior Center, Ka‘ū Community Center and Pāhoa Senior Center. The shuttle leaves at 8 a.m.

Like the original memorial, The Wall That Heals is erected in a chevron shape and visitors are able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall. The names are listed in order of date of casualty and alphabetically on each day.

The Wall That Heals is the only traveling exhibit affiliated with The Wall in Washington, D.C. and includes the largest Wall replica that travels the country. Two The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund staff members lead volunteers on site, educate visitors and students, and ensure the reflective atmosphere of The Wall.