SPEAKER_00 0:00

Good afternoon, Bluffs Country. I'm Peggy Sweet, and this is Belonging in the Bluffs, brought to you by the Iowa West Foundation. I am joined in studio today with my good friend Kate Gerbert. She is Public Relations Director for Pottawatomi County. Welcome, Kate. Hi, Peggy. How are you? I'm fabulous. How are you doing? I'm great. Thank you so much for having me here. Absolutely. You have an incredible event, uh, memorial coming, and it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Yes, we are so excited. We're hosting the Wall That Heals, which is the traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and we are hosting it over Memorial Day weekend. So it will arrive in Pottawatomi County officially on Wednesday, May 20th. Uh, that's the day of the motorcade escort. So that will start in Avoka at the East County Fairgrounds, and it will work its way to Council Bluffs through the county, and then it will eventually make its way to Lewis Central High School, where it will be on display. It gets set up on Thursday, May 21st, and it'll be on display from then until 2 p.m. on Memorial Day. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

What an amazing thing to have happen in our county.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Yes, we were so thankful we went through a pretty lengthy application process, and they had said, you know, don't apply for holiday weekends, don't apply for Veterans Day, just don't even try. It's so competitive. And then we ended up getting Memorial Day, even though we didn't ask for it. So that's awesome. It's quite the honor, and it's something so special that we're able to bring to our community, to our veterans, to their families, their friends, and just the community as a whole. So we're we're really honored. It's going to be a jam-packed weekend. Um obviously it's on display 24 hours a day, so people can come see it at any time. And then we have a full schedule of special ceremonies and events as well that people can participate in and come attend. Um, it starts on Friday. We have a welcome home ceremony. That's kind of the first official kickoff for the weekend. That's uh really intended to be that moment for everyone who, when they served in Vietnam and they came home and they didn't necessarily get that hero's welcome that they should have. This is that moment that we get to give them while we have the wall here in the county. And so that'll be on Friday evening starting at 5 p.m. And then on Saturday morning we'll have a quilts of valor ceremony where we'll have a couple of veterans who will receive a quilt of valor. Uh, and that's at 10 a.m. On Sunday evening we'll have a PTSD ceremony where we'll light the wall in teal. That's the official color of PTSD awareness, and so that'll happen at sunset. And then on Sunday we'll have a closing ceremony and Memorial Day ceremony at 1.15 before the wall officially closes at 2 p.m.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

That is a wonderful lineup. Um, I'm very excited for all of this. It's going to be a really great weekend. And the fact that you got it on Memorial Day week and it didn't ask for it, what a bonus because you have that extra day when people most likely have the day off.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Yeah, we're really hoping that people are able, you know, we've been talking about it. Uh officially we were able to announce back in November, and so we've been talking about it for quite a while now. And so we're really hoping that people are able to make it part of their weekend plans and their holiday plans, whether it's uh through volunteering, which certainly we hope that they've made that part of their plans as well, or just coming to visit the wall and uh being able to really experience that if they haven't been able to make it to see the official wall in Washington, DC. This is a three-quarter scale replica, so it is a pretty significant close to that official experience that you can have in DC. Um, it mimics the exact shape, it comes to that apex point in the middle and then tapers down at the sides. Um, individuals who visit the wall will be able to do the name etchings on there. So we will have pencils and paper that we'll provide, and we will be able to help you locate names. So if there's a specific individual that you're trying to find on the wall, we will have volunteers who are able to help you find what panel they're on as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

That's awesome. And we can get information on the dates and the times and how we can volunteer at? Yes, so we have uh all that information available online.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

So if you go to potia.gov slash TWTH, so that stands for the wall that heals, we have information on everything. It's got the schedule, it has ways for you to still be able to sign up to volunteer. We do have a few slots still open because it is open 24 hours a day to visitors. We do still have some of those 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. shifts available if you're a bit of a night owl, we will take you. Uh or you know, 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., those are open as well. Something I don't know why those were not more popular. I don't know either. Just grab some coffee, come on over, we will uh take the help. Uh you get a free t-shirt, we'll have snacks. Um, you know, we're we're not above bribes. T-shirts and snacks, that's what I've got to offer. And just obviously being able to be part of a really unique experience here in the county. Um, so certainly we would love to have people sign up to volunteer on there. You can also get information about the motorcade escort. So that's another really unique thing that people can be a part of if you are uh a motorcycle rider or part of a motorcycle group and you still want to sign up for that, you absolutely still can. Um so we would love to have individuals participate in that. Like I said, that's on Wednesday the 20th. So there's still a way to jump in on that opportunity. That'll start in the afternoon, like I said, in the East County Fairgrounds out in Avoca at 2 p.m. And then that'll work its way to Lewis Central in Council Bluffs, where the wall will be on display all weekend. Um, and then just in general, finding out about all the timing of the ceremonies and our wonderful sponsors who have helped make this possible, and just all the information that you might need about the whole weekend.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

We're gonna take a quick break here, Kate, but when we return, we're gonna talk about what you can expect during the weekend, why this traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial means so much to so many families, how you can become a part of it through volunteering and community support and that all-important website where you can get all the information. All that and more when Belonging in the Bluffs continues. I'm Bluffs Country 1065. Welcome back to Belonging in the Bluffs on Bluffs Country 1065. I'm Peggy Sweet, and today we are talking about a truly powerful and meaningful experience coming to our community over Memorial Day weekend, the wall that heals. Joining me is Kate, and we are talking about what you can expect during the weekend, why this traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial means so much to so many families, and how you can become a part of it through volunteering and community support. Along with that important website that you can get all the information at. And again, that website is pot ia.gov backslash TWTH, which stands for the wall that heals. Kate, this is an incredible memorial. Uh, I know that I was looking at the numbers and it's 375 feet long.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

It is. It's so much bigger than we thought it was going to be at first. And then when you actually see it in person, it's even bigger than how you're visualizing it.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

You might think it's just this smaller, when you say replica, smaller thing. Um, it's if you've never been to the wall, it's hard to envision how big this actually is. And there is room for everybody to come visit it, and it is a great way to reflect on what it means and uh maybe remember someone that you don't think of quite as often. And it's great healing for veterans.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

It really is. I mean, if you think about the 58,000 plus names that are on there and the individuals, not just the names that are on there for those that didn't come home, but for all of those who served with, well, everyone who served with them, and everyone who was their family members, their friends, their community members, and the healing that they just did not get when that war ended. Right. And that is really why this name was given to this traveling memorial, because it is intended to be this wall that can heal these communities. And so as it travels around the country, and we're a part of a really unique tour this year. It started in Hawaii back in January and now it's making its way around the country. It'll be in Oklahoma before it comes to us, and then it'll travel to Indiana after it leaves us. Um so it's making its way around, but it really does bring this unique opportunity for healing, and that's another reason why it's open 24 hours a day, is because they know that for some individuals, they don't want that moment and that experience in a very public setting. Absolutely. They want to be able to have that in a much more private way and to be able to, you know, shed those tears or process it in whatever way they might need, and hopefully to be able to have that healing moment that they maybe haven't had yet.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

We just never know who this is going to touch, and I think it's awesome that it is open 24 hours a day. Yeah. Kudos to you guys for being able to get this here and arranging the times and all of that. Thank you so much. Yeah. And a big thank you to all of our veterans.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Absolutely. I mean, we're doing this abs for our veterans and the the entire community, and it's been a a group effort for sure. The host committee has worked tirelessly and we're thrilled that it's almost here and to be able to see it come to fruition. We've had individuals handling every different detail from the motorcade escort to the logistics and everything in between. Obviously, I've been on the promotion side of it because that's my wheelhouse, but we just want to make sure that it's a meaningful and powerful experience for everybody who comes to see it.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Again, if you would like information on all of the ceremonies that are going to be happening, what time uh you can go to potia.gov backslash TWTH, which stands for the wall that heals. I think it's going to be a very healing process for our community. We certainly hope so. Thanks so much for bringing it here, Kate, and all of your help with this. And I look forward to seeing you there. Yes, we'll be looking out for you. This has been Belonging in the Bluffs, brought to you by the Iowa West Foundation.