A replica of the most visited war memorial in the United States is coming to Albuquerque.
"The Wall that Heals," - a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. - will be at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial on Friday.
The exhibit will be part of a larger symposium titled "Vietnam: Voices and Visions Unfiltered," which runs through January.
Brian McKinsey, founder of the symposium, said he felt he had a duty to bring these Vietnam memorials to Albuquerque.
"About four years ago, I decided to revisit my past," he said. "I needed to open up that black box relevant to my service in Vietnam 35 years ago."
The wall is owned by the Washington Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and will be open 24 hours, because visiting the wall can be so painful for some veterans, McKinsey said.
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"Some won't come visit the wall unless it's in the middle of the night when other people aren't around," he said.
A ceremony planned for Saturday at 11 a.m. will include some discussions and speeches from Vietnam veterans.
The replication will feature all 58,245 men and women killed during the Vietnam War and stay true to the original design. Each wing will be approximately 123 feet long and lofted at a 121-degree angle, rising to a maximum height of 5 feet at the apex.
Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said in a statement he hopes this exhibition will help the nation renew its relationship with veterans of all wars.
"It helps veterans find healing and a powerful connection through their common military experiences," Scruggs said.
Thousands are expected to visit the wall this weekend, McKinsey said, due to the large veteran community in Albuquerque.
The symposium also features artwork and sculptures from the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago. McKinsey said the idea to bring the artwork to Albuquerque developed when he first visited the museum on the recommendation of a fellow veteran.
"I was amazed," he said. "All the artists who have their work in there were combat veterans. It's very unique in that it's artwork as seen through the eyes of the combatants. Some of it made you laugh. Some of it made you cry."
From there, McKinsey said he wrote a grant proposal to the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities to create a project complete with speakers and discussions, along with the artwork and sculptures.
"I started adding components to it," he said. "I couldn't just bring the art exhibit alone."
Some controversy surrounded the wall's design in the early 1980s.
McKinsey said some government officials and Vietnam veterans complained about Maya Ying Lin's design, calling it the "black gash."
To appease protests of the design, McKinsey said a sculpture called "Three Servicemen" was erected in 1982.
"It's kind of ironic now, because it's probably the most widely visited memorial in the whole world," he said.
COMING ATTRACTION
"The Wall That Heals"
Friday through Monday
New Mexico Veterans Memorial,
1100 Louisiana Blvd.
www.vietnamvoicesandvisions.org
