Nation’s largest Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica arrives in Thurston County
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- The Wall That Heals arrived in Lacey on Wednesday afternoon.
- The replica is stationed on Chambers Prairie Elementary’s field and is open free 24/7.
- The Wall That Heals will remain in Lacey through Sunday, June 28, at 6501 Virginia St. SE.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., arrived in Lacey for the first time Wednesday afternoon.
The scale replica is stationed in the field of Chambers Prairie Elementary School and is available 24/7 to the community, free of charge. The Wall That Heals extends over 300 feet, with individual panels containing the same names engraved on the memorial in Washington D.C.
The Wall That Heals began touring the country in 1996, recognizing that many veterans could not physically travel to Washington D.C. Lacey site manager Cathy Miller said The Wall That Heals received over 150 applications for visits, only selecting and traveling to 30 cities, including Lacey.
Jorge Castillon spearheaded the effort to bring the replica to Lacey, citing the large local population of military service members. Castillon served in the Marine Corps for 24 years.
“This is a way to give thanks to them,” Castillon said. “They’re seen, they’re not forgotten. Our theme is giving Vietnam veterans the welcome home they deserve. They’re not getting any younger, and we’re losing them every day. I just want to give them one last thank you.”
Castillon described an outpouring of community support in bringing The Wall That Heals to Lacey.
Dozens of locals volunteered to assist with set-up, carefully placing each panel to ensure the scale-replica matched the Washington D.C. memorial. Some assisted in the set-up to position panels containing names of friends or loved ones.
Neil Brogren, 75, assisted in set-up to pay his respects to three classmates inscribed on The Wall That Heals. Brogren attended high school in Winside, Nebraska, with a class of 150. His three peers were killed in the Vietnam War in 1966, 1967, 1968, respectively. Brogren served in the military in the years following.
“It’s meaningful that they’re giving people in other parts of the country the opportunity to see it, to understand it, to know what it represents,” Brogren said.
When a local golf course rescinded their offer to lend organizers carts at the eleventh-hour, a community member donated a golf cart within hours after Castillon posted the need on Facebook. The cart is being used to transport older adults from the parking lot to the wall.
The project failed twice, according to Castillon, who was nearly prepared to give up after multiple locations pulled out of hosting the wall. North Thurston Public Schools offered their field after learning of Castillon’s challenge securing a space.
The Wall That Heals and its educational center opened to the public Wednesday afternoon.
The center contains screens showing the wall’s “In Memoriam” and “Hometown Heroes” programs. The former honors veterans who returned home from their service in Vietnam, but have since passed, while the latter highlights veterans from Washington state.
An information booth on site contains a book of the names inscribed on the wall, with volunteers prepared to guide visitors to the name they seek.
Charlie Castro, 78, previously visited The Wall That Heals when it traveled to San Diego. An Olympia resident, he stopped by the Lacey site on behalf of a friend, whose brother’s name is inscribed on the wall. Castro created a charcoal rubbing of the name.
Castro served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1967 to 1969, and reflected on the intense social criticism that veterans faced in the years following the Vietnam War.
“It’s worth it to remember these kids,” Castro said. “They were just kids and nobody appreciated them back then.”
For Castro, traveling to the memorial in Washington D.C. is not possible. The Wall That Heals provided him access to a memorial that would otherwise be out of reach.
The Wall That Heals will be open until Sunday, June 28, at 6501 Virginia St. SE in Lacey.
Washington state Lt. Gov. Denny Heck will speak at a Welcome Home ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, alongside Laura Kern, a former operating room nurse stationed in Vietnam.
The full schedule for The Wall That Heals in Lacey is available here.
This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 12:45 PM.