MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. opened Thursday in Martinsville. It’s part of the traveling “The Wall That Heals” exhibit at the Morgan County Fairgrounds.

The installation was last in Penn Yan, New York. It arrived in Martinsville on Tuesday. This is the only stop the tour is making in Indiana this year.

Community organizers say it took 16 months to get the exhibit to Morgan County.

Operated by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the exhibit includes a three-quarters-scale replica of the full monument in Washington D.C.

Site Manager, Vic Muschler says the goal is to provide an opportunity for as many veterans as possible to see the wall in and for them to start the healing process.

“We needed to go on the road to continuing the healing of the nation and help those individuals that don’t know anything about the wall, don’t know anything about the war,” Muschler said. “This is our opportunity to help change some of those things in the past and show those veterans that we did respect their service and that we do honor them and we never forget the sacrifices these individuals on this wall made for us.”

The Wall That Heals comes on a semi-truck that doubles as an education center with additional programs and artifacts from the war.

It also features a digital display that honors local veterans who died in Vietnam. Another display focuses on those who died from the effects of Agent Orange.

Muschler says many of these veterans returned home and still live with the side effects.

“Nobody is tracking those losses, Muschler said. “It takes family members and friends to make an application to us for those individuals to be brought into that program.”

Traveling since 1996, The Wall That Heals has been to nearly 700 communities across the country. 

On Friday local organizers will host a ceremony to honor veterans who died or deal with the effects of Agent Orange. Then on Saturday, they will hold a small reception for area Gold Star Families.

The Wall That Heals is free and open 24 hours until the closing ceremony Sunday at 2 p.m.