'It's an honor:' Wall that Heals arrives in Hartland to pay tribute to fallen heroes lost during Vietnam War

 

HARTLAND, Wis. (CBS 58) -- From now until June 2, you have a chance to pay tribute to fallen heroes whose lives were lost in the Vietnam War.

Inside Hartland's Nixon Park sits a 7.5-foot-high, 375-foot-long replica of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington D.C.

It's called the "Wall that Heals" and has more than 58,000 names engraved -- 67 of which are from Waukesha County and three of which are from Hartland.

First-time volunteer Kathy Scherbarth said, “58,281 is a number most of us can’t visualize what that means. This is 58,281 lives that were lost.”

Two of her sons served in the military, which prompted Scherbarth to help out.

"The blessing of having them come back home made it super simple to come here," Scherbarth told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. 

Hartland is the only site in Wisconsin to host the memorial this year, as it makes its way to 33 communities across the country.

"You can't see it enough," said Marv Cherr, an Army veteran who came out to the park on Thursday. "I hope all people appreciate that somewhere along the line.

Cherr spent two years in Germany after getting drafted in 1964.

"There's a few of them I know that lost their lives," Cherr said, while pointing out names on the wall. "Even the young children, I hope they realize what happened and what's going on."

On Saturday, June 1, there will be a ceremony to turn the lights above the names teal in honor of PTSD Awareness Month.

The wall will then leave Hartland at 2 p.m. on Sunday to travel to Kentucky.

“Our history of our country is what makes us have the ability to stand here today," Scherbarth said. “The fact that all of these men and a few women put everything on the line for our country is something we have to keep alive for the future generations.”