HAYDEN - The first time Wes Anderson visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it took him two hours to get close to it.

The next and last time he visited the memorial in Washington, D.C., it wasn't as difficult for the local Vietnam War vet.

"Each time it's a little easier to approach," said Anderson, who knew fellow vets who died during the war.

Anderson is among the veterans who have assisted in bringing The Wall that Heals, a traveling Vietnam War memorial, and the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance to Hayden City Park Aug. 16-18.

The Navy and Marine Corps vet keeps etchings bearing the names of his fallen comrades in a binder following his previous visits to the permanent memorial.

Anderson will add the etching of the name of a veteran he went to hospital corps school with during the upcoming stop of the traveling wall. That veteran's remains were recently found and returned home.

"The walls are intended to bring a little closure," said Anderson, a member of the Kootenai County Veterans Council and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 889 in Coeur d'Alene.

"There are a lot of veterans who don't have the capacity to go back to the wall in D.C., so we're bringing it to them."

Kevin Gonzalez of the veterans council said the walls are "an incredible opportunity for our community" to honor the service of our veterans and their families.

The Vietnam wall - one of four traveling walls pertaining to the war - is 250 feet long and 6 feet tall. It bears the names of 58,195 vets who died during the war.

The Global War on Terror wall is supported by a group called Vision 2 Victory. It memorializes 2 million veterans and civilians involved in the Global War on Terror. There are 11,000 names represented of those who have died.

An opening ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Hayden Mayor Ron McIntire and others will speak. The walls will be on display 24 hours a day all three days. A closing ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.

There is no cost to view the walls. However, donations will be accepted to pay for operational expenses.

Backpacks, food, beverages, pets and smoking are prohibited during the event. Volunteers and grief counselors will be on hand to assist visitors. Veterans groups will have informational booths.

The remaining donations after expenses will be sent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund for a new museum that will be built near the permanent Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Accounts have also been set up at Community 1st Bank branches in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene to benefit the event. Donations can also be sent to: Kootenai County Veterans Council, P.O. Box 1981, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816.

Those interested in volunteering for the event should call Sandy Doutre at 292-4938, Wayne Syth at 659-7047 or the City of Hayden at 772-4411.

Wall procession to impact traffic

COEUR d'ALENE - Traffic will be impacted during Wednesday's Vietnam Memorial Wall procession through Kootenai County, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.

The procession will start at 11 a.m. and is expected to take up to an hour to complete from Post Falls to Hayden. Several hundred veterans on motorcycles and two or three semi-trucks will receive a police escort.

Idaho State Police, Post Falls Police, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office and Coeur d'Alene Police will assist with the procession.

Law enforcement will close all approaches along U.S. 95 from Interstate 90 to Prairie Avenue. The procession will proceed eastbound and be joined by officers from Kootenai County and/or the state police at Interstate 90's state border, turn at Exit 12, and continue four miles to Hayden's City Park on Government Way turning at Prairie Avenue.

The wall will be set up on Thursday and open for viewing Friday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 18.