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PHOTO GALLERY: The Wall That Heals

Brenda Ahearn/ Daily Inter Lake | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 4 months AGO
by Brenda Ahearn/ Daily Inter Lake
| September 8, 2017 1:09 PM

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Carolyn Kovacevic points to a name on The Wall that Heals following the opening ceremony on Thursday. Kovacevic is volunteer firefighter with the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department.

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Mark Vrooman of Proctor, Montana, kneels before The Wall that Heals. Vrooman attended the opening ceremony Thursday to pay his respects to Nicholas W. Vrooman, a distant relation and the only person killed while serving in Vietnam with that particular last name. Nicholas W. Vrooman, of Spring Valley, California, was born Feb. 5, 1949. He was serving with the Army and became a casualty of the Vietnam War on May 24, 1970. His name is listed on the Wall at panel 10W, line 93.

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Members of the Civil Air Patrol carry flags to place at the base of The Wall that Heals following the opening ceremony on Thursday morning, September 7, in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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From left, Corporal Carl Hughes and Sgt. Major Al Reynolds listen to the speeches at the opening ceremony for The Wall that Heals on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in Kalispell. The two Marines were later responsible for the placing of a wreath for the The Fraternal Brotherhood Of United States Marines near the close of the ceremony.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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A hazy sun is reflected off The Wall that Heals on Thursday morning, September 6, in Kalispell. Today there will be two ceremonies at the wall, the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and the closing ceremony at 4 p.m. The closing ceremony will feature a performance of Echo Taps by BJ Lupton and Gerry Schultz.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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A detail photograph of names etched into the aluminum panels that make up the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. The wall is made up of 100 aluminum panels. Due to the more delicate nature of the replica wall, etchings are not permitted. However, attendees who want an etching can give their name an information at the visitors tent and they will be sent etchings from the memorial in Washington.

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A reflection of visitors at The Wall that Heals following the opening ceremony on Thursday morning, September 7, in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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Officer Andy Haag of the Kalispell Police Department carefully lines up the panels of the wall before fixing them in place on Wednesday afternoon, September 6, in Kalispell. The Wall that Heals, a mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. arrived in Kalispell a little after 11 a.m. The Wall, which is made up of 100 aluminum panels, was put up by volunteers, including 15 members of the Kalispell Police Department, starting around 1 p.m. The Wall that Heals will have an opening ceremony today at 10 a.m. in the large field adjacent to Rosauers. After which it will be open 24 hours per day for free to visitors. There will be ceremonies all four days the Wall is in Kalispell including two on Sunday, September 10, the first will be the daily opening ceremony at 10 and a closing ceremony at 4 p.m. Mike Shepard of Columbia Falls Freedom Post #72 said that on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial there are 11 names of service members who died who were from the Flathead Valley. There are a total of 270 Montanans listed on the Wall and 107 Canadians. Shepard said that he and some of the Columbia Falls veterans went to Kimberly, British Columbia for a veterans memorial dedication. Some of those Canadians they went to visit are returning the honor and will be at the opening ceremony today.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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View of The Wall that Heals the first night it was set up on Wednesday evening, September 6, in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

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Staff Sgt. Fredrick McCune and Sgt. 1st Class Jonathon Ross carry one of the aluminum panels of The Wall that Heals from where it has been in the truck to the set up site in the field adjacent to Rosauers on Wednesday afternoon, September 6, in Kalispell. McCune and Ross are stationed here in Kalispell while serving as recruiters for the U.S. Army.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

The Wall that Heals, a mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is in Kalispell through Sept. 10.

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