The Wall That Heals arrived in Marked Tree Tuesday escorted by more than 100 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. With sirens, flashing lights and the roar of motorcycle engines, the wall was taken to its temporary home in Cypress Park in Marked Tree where it will remain through Sunday, Sept. 28. (Tribune photo/Samantha Martin)

Of course all visitors are special to Marked Tree, but this is no ordinary group of men. They are heroes, and the city plans to give them a hero's welcome.

The visitors are members of the Charlie and Echo Company, which consist of Vietnam veterans from the BN 5th Cav, 1st Calvary Division. When they heard the moving Vietnam memorial wall was coming to Marked Tree, they knew it was the opportunity to be a part of something special.

"We were contacted by James "Tree" Macahan from Company C," said Danny Adams, organizer of the group that helped bring the wall to Marked Tree. "He said he was looking for a place for the group to have their reunion when he saw the wall was coming to Marked Tree. Since his nickname is Tree, it all seemed to fit for him."

The group will be holding their reunion in Memphis and will travel to Marked Tree Friday. They will arrive around 2 p.m., just in time to lead the Marked Tree homecoming parade.

Members of the Patriot Guard waved at the crowd on Frisco Street Tuesday while they escorted the truck containing the Wall that Heals into town. (Tribune photo / Samantha Martin)

"When these men came back from Vietnam, they didn't get a welcome," Adams said. "They got sneered at, spit on and cussed at. Well, we're going to give them the type of welcome they deserved but never got."

The men will arrive on busses provided by the Marked Tree Schools, which will lead off the parade.

"They are going to be the grand marshals of the parade," Adams said.

The people of Marked Tree will line the streets, wave American flags and cheer for the men who suffered great personal loss and sacrifice to serve their country.

Following the parade, the men will arrive at the lot behind Pulaski bank where they will be officially welcomed by Mayor Dixon Chandler at 2:45 p.m. and entertained by a community choir. At 3:15 p.m. the veterans will have a chance to meet pen pals from the high school with whom they've been corresponding for several months.

They will arrive at the site of the wall at 3:45 p.m. to participate in a special laying of the wreath ceremony.

"This is going to be very special for them," Adams said. "Some of these men have never been to a wall, either a traveling one of the one in Washington D.C., so it's going to be a big experience for them."

The Wall is also known as "The Wall that Heals," because of its traveling nature it provides an opportunity for more Vietnam veterans to visit it and finally find some closure.

"These are Vietnam veterans and the wall is a memorial to the casualties of that war," Adams said. "They have a special connection with each other. These were their buddies, their brothers."

Adams said he hopes the men will not only find some healing while in Marked Tree, but also a place they can they can truly call a place to come home to.

"This is going to be very touching for them because they're going to receive a welcome home," he said. "I really do think there's going to be some friendship here that's going to last a long, long time."

The city of Marked Tree, along with sponsors, are providing a special banquet for the veterans at the Marked Tree Elementary School cafeteria at 5:15 on Friday. The banquet will include a meal, a presentation by Mayor Dixon Chandler and John McCorkle and entertainment by men of the Charlie Company.

Sponsors of the banquet include Garver Engineers, Arkoma Playground, Brawley Engineers, Shaw Willoughby Consultants, the Woman's Progressive Club, Rivercity Hydraulics, Cameron Construction Company, Tri-State Truck Center, Joe Christin, Congressman Marion Berry, Associated Engineers, Barton's Ag Center, Jim Alexander, Three Rivers Nursing Center and Centerpoint Energy.

At 7:30 p.m. the men of Charlie and Echo Company will hold a special candlelight vigil at the wall. Music will be performed by the NEA Pipes and Drums. The ceremony will also include reading of the names from the wall, prayer, a 21 gun salute and the playing of Taps.

See inside this edition for a complete schedule of events for the wall's stay in Marked Tree from Wednesday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 28.

About the Wall

On Veterans Day 1996, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund unveiled a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States.

Bringing The Wall home to communities throughout the country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist, once more, among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit, also known as "The Wall that Heals," allows the many thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of "facing The Wall" to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin.

The Wall that Heals also features a traveling museum and information center providing a comprehensive educational component to enrich and complete visitor's experiences. The museum chronicles the Vietnam War era and the unique healing power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, while the information center serves as a venue for people to learn about friends and loved ones lost in the war.

Since its dedication, The Wall that Heals has visited nearly 250 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial's healing legacy to millions. In addition to its U.S. tour stops, the exhibition made its first-ever international journey in April 1999 to the Four Provinces of Ireland to honor the Irish-born casualties of the Vietnam War and the Irish-Americans who served.

Like the original Wall, the replica is erected in a chevron-shape and complete with the more than 58,000 names of those killed or missing in action from the conflict. When new names are added to the Memorial in Washington, D.C., The Wall that Heals is updated as soon as possible.

As on The Wall in Washington, D.C., the names are listed alphabetically by date of casualty on The Wall that Heals. Beginning at the center, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back to the center. Thus, the beginning and ending of the conflict are joined at the center.

The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels, each containing six columns of names. The panels join together to form the nearly 250 feet wide structure. Each of the replicas two wings is approximately 123-feet long and meets at an angle of 121 degrees, rising to a height of approximately five feet at their apex. Each name is laser-etched into the black reflective panels.

A database of names and their precise arrangement on The Wall had to be created to engrave the panels. The database was then linked to a computer-operated laser system developed solely for the purpose of engraving The Wall that Heals. The system etched image arrears of a specific size, requiring remarkable precise calibration across a wide field to match partially formed letters and lines. The Wall that Heals is transported from community to community by a 73-foot semi-truck and trailer which converts to a museum.

When emptied, the 53-foot trailer becomes a mobile museum. The exterior sides of the trailer open to reveal information cases displaying memorabilia, which tell the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the era surrounding the conflict, as well as the computer name locator.

The museum also includes a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the continuing conflict in Vietnam spanning several thousands of years. The museum helps many visitor's, particularly students, put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.

A 20-foot x 20-foot white canvas tent is attached to the trailer and serves as an information center where visitors can find names, either in the directory of names or by asking one of the volunteers working the computers. A variety of other useful matters, such as a book about MIA's, is also available.

Entries in the printed directory are in alphabetical order, making it easy to locate a specific name. Each entry is followed by a panel and line # to show where the name can be found on The Wall. The tent is lighted for nighttime use.

For more information on The Wall go to the website www.vvmf.org