By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
We met two days after the Army’s 250th birthday celebration, which had also been Flag Day. Mayor Ronnie was a sergeant in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam from 1968-1970. He chose to celebrate the Army’s birthday by getting together with buddies who had been there. He chuckled as he said, “I don’t think we told any ‘fish’ stories,” and he also saw a recap of the event in Washington, D.C. We could have talked all morning about every aspect of it, but he moved on to the good news that “The Wall That Heals” is coming to Athens in November.
The Wall That Heals is a ¾ scale mobile version of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was started in 1996, and has visited more than 800 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund selects the cities, and this year it is our turn. The Wall That Heals travels on a 53-foot trailer, and will be open 24 hours a day as it rests in Beasley Field on the campus of Athens State University from November 6-9, 2025. The City of Athens is one of the sponsors, as are the Alabama Veterans Museum, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 511, Limestone County Commission, the Limestone County Legislative Delegation, and Athens State University.
The Wall That Heals is 375 feet long, and stands 7.5 feet tall. One of the features that has served to be a source of healing is the fact that people can find the name of their friend or loved one and do a rubbing of that name. There is a mobile education center that is part of the exhibit along with a “Hometown Heroes” photo exhibit. There is a website specifically for the Athens event, and it is www.thewallthathealsathens.org.
We moved on to the topic of elections, and Mayor Ronnie said, “We need to return to a place where we debate, discuss, and resolve.” As it pertains to what had just happened in Washington, D.C., we reflected on the fact that the Army was older than our nation itself. “Can you imagine what it took to write the Constitution?” I replied that I could not. What they went through to give us the most anointed work next to the Bible and that it is still standing is nothing short of a miracle.
We moved to the topic of protest, something that is foundational to the Constitution. “People have the right to protest,” said the mayor. I agreed. “But they don’t have the right to harm innocent people and destroy property,” he continued. I agreed. As a ‘Nam vet who faced down coming back to a nation that was largely unthankful, he experienced the arrogance and lack of gratitude from people who are exactly what I used to be. “We need to put our arms around our country and our city,” he said. I nodded in the affirmative. This weekend was a reminder for us both of what it costs to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to pray, and then it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
June 20, 2025
