Colby Co. employee Corey DeWitt spent three days this summer working on a team to help install the Wall That Heals. The display is a touring wall replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which pays tribute to the more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing from the Vietnam War.
Working alongside other volunteers, Corey spent his first day helping to install more than 100 framing sections with bases and bracing. These helped to support the panels with the names on them. There are 140 panels that hold the names of all of the fallen soldiers. The wall is 370 feet long – and is ¾ the scale of the wall in D.C. Volunteers spent nearly six hours working to get the display up, with the wall on display in Sanford for four days. The wall has traveled all year, starting in California and slowly making its way across the country.
During his volunteering, Corey shared that he was able to meet and talk with several Vietnam veterans. He worked to help people find the names they were looking for along the wall, and helped them rub the names as a sign of honor and remembrance. He shared a few of the stories from his time with Colby Co. coworkers, and remarked on how struck he was by the importance of this memorial for so many.
Corey decided to use all of his volunteer hours (as part of our 1500 hour campaign) for this event. He said it was incredibly fulfilling and humbling.
We are grateful for his work and dedication, as well as the sacrifices these men and women have made.