The Wall That Heals, a Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica, in region for Memorial Day

On a folded piece of paper in Bob Slifer’s pocket was a list of handwritten names.

One name, Bernard “Bill” Teske, was quite the comedian. “He was a fun-loving guy,” said Slifer, of Middlesex. “He could make you laugh regardless of circumstances.”

Another name, Johnny Rosetta, was family-oriented and loved the Marine Corps, Slifer remembered. Bill Shaw, another on the list, was quiet — “a good fighter and a good Marine.” Paul Anderson was a “scout,” and determined.

Slifer, along with his family and friends, looked for those names — as well as others Slifer remembered serving with during the Vietnam War — on a three-quarter-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial near Shaler Area High School.

“They were all friends, just like school kids,” said Slifer, a Purple Heart veteran. “You trained together, you lived together, you died together.”

The Wall That Heals and a mobile education center is at Shaler Area High School through Memorial Day as the cornerstone of the township’s 125th anniversary observances this year. It’s the only time it will be in the Pittsburgh region this year. It opened to the public Thursday and can be visited 24 hours a day.

The last time it was in the region was in 2019 in Indiana.

A welcome home ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Friday, and a candlelight ceremony for Agent Orange awareness will begin 30 minutes after sunset Saturday. The Memorial Day service will begin at 11:30 a.m. Monday, followed by a closing ceremony at 1:45 p.m. and the wall closing at 2 p.m.

To Slifer, taking time to visit the wall is a way to remember those he served with.

“You don’t know how many prayers I said to come home safe,” he said. “God answered them.”

Slifer was 24 when he served. His friends nicknamed him “Pappy” because they were only 19 or 20.

“Everything we did, we did together,” he said. “We were well-trained and ready.”

Seeing the replica at night is recommended because of its LED lighting system, said Tim Tetz, director of outreach for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in Arlington, Va. The fund was established in 1979 to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and still exists as a nonprofit to care for the wall and memorial site.

“It is just magical under those lights,” he said.

Shaler was one of 141 communities that applied to host the wall this year, Tetz said. It is among 30 that were chosen, from March into November.

The township talked about hosting the wall for two to three years, assistant township Manager Judy Kording said. The township applied in September.

“We thought that, with the 125th anniversary celebration, it would be a fitting tribute to recognize the township’s milestone but also honor those that served in the Vietnam War,” she said. “Shaler Township is honored to host The Wall That Heals. We look forward to many visiting.”

The township has been working closely with Veterans of Foreign Wars Mount Royal Post 9199, where Army veteran Jennifer Rothwell is quartermaster and a member of the planning committee. The chance of getting the wall to come was considered “slim,” she said.

“A few from the VFW wrote letters about what it would mean to us to have the wall,” she said. “To our surprise, we got accepted.”

Rothwell met her husband, post Cmdr. Timothy Rothwell, in the Army. He served in Korea and Afghanistan; she served in Kosovo.

Of the post’s 1,000 total members, about 290 are veterans — quite a few of whom served in Vietnam, she said.

“The Vietnam veterans really got the bad end of the stick,” she said. “When I came back from overseas, people were thanking me and shaking my hand and showing appreciation. I can’t imagine being a Vietnam veteran and people not showing you that you’re a hero.”

She is hoping the wall does what its name says: heals.

“We’re trying to make up for what was done to them in the past. Some of them are very open to it. Some of them appreciate the thank-you now,” she said. “Some of them are still very standoffish. It’s a hard wound to heal when your country doesn’t agree that you’re a hero. I’m hoping that this is the start for a lot of Vietnam veterans to heal in the area.”

For Kelly Rihn of Shaler, it was special to bring the wall to Shaler after volunteering at the Washington, D.C, wall for more than 30 years.

“It was important to bring it to my hometown and share the experience with veterans that are getting older and unable to travel to D.C.,” she said. “Western Pennsylvania has a high concentration of veterans.”

She was 7 months old in 1966 when her father, Army Spc. Joel Coleman, was killed in action. His name is on the 7 East panel.

“It was really special today. As we were setting up the wall, I was able to carry my dad’s panel with my husband and our daughter,” Rihn said.

The wall is also an opportunity for the younger generation to learn about the Vietnam War, Rihn said.

“It’s important for kids now, because the veterans are still here to tell their stories,” she said.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, commonly referred to as The Wall, was dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1982. It is one of the most visited memorials, with an estimated 5.6 million visitors each year.

The Wall That Heals was unveiled as a half-scale replica in 1996. It was upgraded to three-quarter size in 2018 — 375 feet long and 7.5 feet high at its tallest point, made up of 140 panels of synthetic granite.

“It is the largest replica that travels around the country,” Tetz said.

Its name is the title of a book by Jan Craig Scruggs, an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War and founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He was president of the foundation until 2015, when he retired.

The fund created its own replica of the wall after seeing other traveling versions by for-profit organizations, none of which is associated with the memorial.

“We didn’t believe any of them were replicating the sanctity and educational nature that happens at the wall in Washington, D.C.,” Tetz said.

Since 1996, The Wall That Heals has been in more than 800 communities in 49 states and three countries.

“It allows for anyone who might not get a chance to come to Washington, D.C., the opportunity to come and learn about it,” Tetz said.

Name rubbings can be done at the replica just like at the permanent memorial. Guided tours will be available.

“It is not uncommon for people to say they’ve been to the wall three or four times and say they didn’t learn as much as they learned here,” Tetz said. “There are very few guided tours at the wall. And when you come to D.C., you’re trying to jam in as much as you can. When it’s in your backyard, you can dedicate that 30 minutes to an hour and spend the time focusing on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.”

The 53-foot trailer that carries the wall turns into a museum. It will display the names and pictures of people from the area whose names are on the wall, and photos of those who died after returning from Vietnam. It also carries a collection of items left at the wall in D.C.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to get a better understanding of the history of the war, the background of those who served in it and some of the legacy of the memorial and how that has changed over the years,” Tetz said.