February 22, 2017
Medal of Honor Recipient Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins, U.S. Army (ret), is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony of The Wall That Heals in Johns Creek, Ga. Thursday, March 30 at 10 a.m.
The opening ceremony marks a four-day visit by the 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, near the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater in Newtown Park. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces during the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Adkins distinguished himself during 38 hours of close-combat fighting against enemy forces in Vietnam between March 9-12, 1966. Despite being wounded, Adkins continued to fight enemy forces, helped to evacuate injured soldiers, and rallied the remaining survivors and led the group into the jungle where they evaded the enemy for 48 hours until they were rescued by helicopter. The full transcript of Adkins’ story and Medal of Honor citation can viewed
here.
The Wall That Heals provides a community with a multi-day experience of reflection that includes an educational experience for local schools and organizations on the history of the Vietnam era and The Wall. The exhibit includes The Wall replica and a mobile Education Center that comprises digital displays of photos of service members whose names are on The Wall; letters and memorabilia left at The Wall by visitors; a map of Vietnam; and a chronological overview 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 place American experiences in Vietnam in an historical and cultural context.
The Wall That Heals is available free to the public 24 hours a day throughout its stay. For more information, please visit the
City website.