KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This weekend, you're invited to Oak Park High School to help dedicate a newly finished memorial for Oak Park students who served in the Vietnam era called The Healing Wall. I got a chance to hear about it from a veteran who helped create it.
You'll find 288 names on the wall including Cary Marshall. The Air Force veteran and all of the people named once walked these halls as students and served between 1965 and 1975. At the top of the display, you'll find pictures next to twelve of those names.
"Those were killed in action, they didn't come home, and I wish they would have come home," said Marshall.
Marshall is one of a small group of volunteers who spent the last three years raising money, gathering these names, and more to finish Oak Park High School's Healing Wall.
"I named it the Healing Wall because of what the real wall did for me," said Marshall, and he has hopes for the students who will walk by everyday...
"They may see their grandpas or their great grandpas and by seeing that, I hope they would do some history checking and see what that person, he or she, has gone through and keep it in here for the rest of their lives," he said.
The wall serves as a way to remember and honor those who served, and never forget those who didn't return.
The ceremony is Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Oak Park High School. They would love if you would reach out to the school to RSVP so they can have a chair for you.
Marshall also said they are still getting names so if you know someone who served and their name needs added to the Healing Wall, they have more room and will be adding more. Reach out to the school to let them know and they can get in touch with Marshall.
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