The Wall That Heals committee in need of volunteers
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WHEELING - A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be making a stop in Belmont County this fall, and the organizers of the event are looking for volunteer help for when it arrives.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the memorial, will be at the Belmont County Fairgrounds from Oct. 1-4, Roberta Raymond, co-chair of the Wall That Heals committee, told the Wheeling Rotary on Tuesday afternoon. It is 375 feet in length and stands 7½ feet high. The site will include a mobile education center.
Raymond came to Tuesday’s Rotary meeting to spread the word that the committee is looking for volunteers and donations to help cover costs of keeping the wall up and operational 24 hours a day for the entirety of the event.
"It's an all volunteer process, and we're also looking for some financial support. Because this is all funded throughout the committee, there’s no government funding for any of this," Raymond said.
Raymond's husband Tim Meighen died in 2017 from complications of Agent Orange. She said that the passing of her husband is what made her want to get involved with the committee. Meighen was a Vietnam veteran who served 21 years in the Air Force.
"We were not together when he was in Vietnam, but even afterwards, you could still see the effects of it on him, so this is something I wanted to do for him," Raymond said.
The mobile education center exhibit includes two digital photo displays. The Hometown Heroes display highlights service members whose names are on The Wall that list their home of record within the area of a visit. The In Memory display highlights Vietnam veterans from the local area honored through Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program which honors veterans who returned home from Vietnam and later died. Additional displays include videos that teach about the history and impact of The Wall, educational exhibits told through items representative of those left at The Wall in D.C., a replica of the In Memory plaque, a map of Vietnam and a timeline of the Vietnam War. The exhibits tell the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the era surrounding the conflict, and are designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.
The display will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public.
"It's free for the public to come and visit, and it’s called the Wall That Heals because it is a healing process for those Vietnam veterans and families who were not welcomed home when they came home from the war," Raymond said.
Rotary Club president Betsy Bethel-McFarland said that The Wall That Heals is a big get for not only St. Clairsville and Belmont County, but the entire surrounding area.
"I think that it's significant that this is coming here and is one of only 31 communities in the country this year," Bethel-McFarland said. "I hope that as many people as possible come and see it. School groups and families should all come out to see it because we can’t forget what these men and women sacrifice for our country, and I think it’s a very good reminder.
She added that she is also very glad to see that the wall is coming to St. Clairsville.
Raymond said that there were over 150 applicants for this year's Wall That Heals route with Wadsworth being the only other Ohio stop on the 2026 tour schedule.
She added that if anyone is interested in donating or volunteering for the event she can be contacted at 740-359-8585 or by email by Roberta1013@comcast.net.
Raymond said that the committee can accommodate whenever volunteers need to help with the event.