CLAREMONT — The nonprofit that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. has selected the city to host the “Wall that Heals,” a replica of the wall, next summer.
The traveling exhibit, established by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in 1996, will arrive in Claremont on June 24, 2025, and after it is erected over two days, will be open to the public at Monadnock Park from June 26 to 29.
Similar to the D.C. memorial, the 375-foot replica wall, made of a synthetic granite called Avonite, has the names of more than 58,000 men and women who died during the conflict. It is about three-quarters the size of the memorial in D.C., which was dedicated in 1982, nine years after the conflict ended.
City Councilor William Limoges, who led the effort a few years ago to have Claremont named a Purple Heart City, which honors Purple Heart recipients, said he first thought about bringing the Wall to Claremont last January and began making calls to the project manager in D.C. He formed a committee, which learned a little more than a month ago that the Fund had selected Claremont.
“It has been a lot of work but has been very well worth it,” Limoges said at the meeting. “Claremont was a good choice and this will be good for Claremont and good for the veterans.”
Claremont is one of 40 sites the wall will visit between March and November of next year. The Fund chose the sites from 140 applications. Claremont and Farmington, Maine are the only two locations the wall will visit in New England next year.
This will be only the fifth time the wall has been in New Hampshire. The last time was in Newport in 2008.
At a meeting Wednesday of the Claremont Wall that Heals Project, about two dozen residents, including Limoges, discussed some of the next steps to prepare for the wall’s arrival.
First and foremost, $12,000 has to be raised in the next several months for the exhibit, which will also include an education center on the Vietnam War. The group will be raising additional funds to cover expenses such as putting in electricity to light the wall but details on that are still being worked out, Limoges said.
Members of a few organizations present at the meeting, including Kiwanis, the Greater Claremont Board of Realtors and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said they would be speaking with their members to discuss donations and volunteering.
The Board of Realtors has agreed to donate proceeds from their upcoming annual December fundraiser to the project, Vi Lunderville, the board’s chairwoman, said.
The other large piece, which no one at the meeting thought would be a difficult hurdle, is having enough volunteers to help set up the Wall on June 24 and 25, and then serve in shifts during visitor hours. Limoges said he would like to have at least 50 people.
Darwin Beeman, senior vice commander of the state chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said he will reach out to members.
“I can get coverage. I don’t think there will be a problem,” said Beeman, who is also senior vice commander of the Charlestown VFW.
Also discussed was working with area schools to recruit volunteers and also educate students about the war.
Those wishing to make a donation can mail checks, made out to VVMF to Limoges at 86 Old Claremont Road, Claremont, N.H. 03743.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
