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Spectators wave American flags as motorcyclists accompany The Wall That Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to Monadnock Park in Claremont, N.H., on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Over 120 vehicles joined the caravan for the memorial, which will be open to the public from Thursday to Sunday. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
Emma Limoges, right, fans her daughter Marina, 8, both of Claremont, N.H., as they wait for the arrival of The Wall That Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Claremont, N.H., on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Several dozen spectators turned out to welcome the memorial despite the heat. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
Ralph Wass, second from right, of Laconia, N.H., shakes hands with Tim Tetz, director of outreach for The Wall That Heals, after accompanying the memorial on his motorcycle to Monadnock Park in Claremont, N.H., on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Wass served in Vietnam toward the end of the war, and said that knowing some of his friends’ names are on the memorial makes its arrival a bittersweet moment. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus)
CLAREMONT — The 53-foot trailer carrying a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in sections arrived at Broad Street Park on Tuesday afternoon.
It was accompanied by an escort of 126 vehicles, including a large contingent from local chapters of Rolling Thunder. Members of the American Legion Post 29 were also on hand to welcome the exhibit.
The Wall That Heals is scheduled to be on display in Monadnock Park from Thursday to Sunday, said Claremont City Councilor William Limoges, who took the first steps to bring the wall to Claremont nearly 18 months ago. The exhibit is free and will be open to the public 24 hours a day.
As a result of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers to organize and prepare for the wall’s visit, the city now is ready to host the replica of the Washington D.C. memorial.
Volunteers are scheduled to begin assembling the wall at 8 a.m. Wednesday, an effort that could take anywhere from six to eight hours.
“We begin by driving these long stakes into the ground,” Limoges said. “It has to be able to withstand winds up to 50 miles per hour.”
The wall measures 375-feet long and 7½ feet tall at its highest point, which is three-quarters the size of the D.C. memorial. Made of synthetic black granite, it is inscribed with the names of more than 58,200 Americans who died in the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Limoges conceived of the idea to have the Wall come to Claremont not long after he helped lead the effort to have Claremont named a Purple Heart City, which honors Purple Heart recipients.
“After the Purple Heart designation, I thought, what else can we do,” Limoges said this week. “I had visited the memorial (in Washington) and it really stood out and affected me profoundly.”
After seeing a picture of the traveling Wall on the internet, Limoges said he began exploring the process to become a host and contacted the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, or VVMF, which established the traveling exhibit in 1996. He then organized a meeting at a local restaurant in spring of 2024 to gauge interest.
“I didn’t know what to expect at that first meeting,” Limoges said.
A room full of people that night told Limoges this could happen and from there a committee was formed. Months of work followed to raise money and recruit volunteers.
“The committee we had was fantastic,” Limoges said. “The fundraiser has been phenomenal both monetary and in-kind.
Limoges said they raised about $30,000 and have received other donations, such as golf carts from the country clubs in Newport and Claremont for anyone unable to walk to view the Wall. Others have donated food, tents and mats to protect the grass.
The memorial will be located by the park’s tennis courts.
The trailer carrying the Wall will also serve as a mobile education center with a timeline and other information about the conflict. The memorial in Washington was dedicated in 1982.
About 200 volunteers will serve in shifts at the memorial during the four days, Limoges said.
“I think we have just about every slot filled. The woman at the VVMF told us our volunteer (recruiting) effort was amazing,” Limoges said, crediting Gwen Lalo for heading up recruitment.
Claremont is only the fifth community in New Hampshire to host the Wall, the last time it was in the state was in Newport in 2008. The city is one of 40 locations nationwide chosen from 140 applications for this summer.
To learn more about the exhibit and events being planned during the four days, visit thewallthathealsclaremontnh.org/events/
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
