‘The Wall that Heals’ touches the lives of veterans

The Wall that Heals holds the names of 58,000 veterans who died in Vietnam and friends and family of those veterans here on the Coast seek their names as they visit the memorial in Bay St. Louis.

The wall is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. and gives local vets the opportunity to find the names of loved ones.

The wall arrived in Bay St. Louis on the back of a caravan and was assembled on Wednesday.

As the monument opens at the city’s sports complex on Athletic Drive, veterans flock to pay respects. Air Force Veteran Dennis Manson said, “It’s very emotional. It’s — just can’t express that all those people died to protect our democracy and protect against communism. And God bless the people driving these trucks. And thank you.”

Entry is free and the wall will be on the Coast until Sunday at 2 p.m.