Delaware educator receives Vietnam Wall 40th anniversary coin
Nora Hutchinson, committee chair for the Wall That Heals’ upcoming Delaware appearance, was presented with a Vietnam Wall 40th anniversary coin at an American Legion Post 17 meeting in Lewes March 19.
The Wall That Heals, a traveling, three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will be coming to William Penn High School in New Castle between Thursday, April 28, and Sunday, May 1.
With the support of Colonial School District, Hutchinson, a math teacher at William Penn, initiated the application for the memorial to travel to New Castle.
William Penn is the first high school in Delaware selected as a site and one of only 29 sites nationwide accepted for the traveling exhibit affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans Wall in Washington, D.C., during its 40th anniversary. The exhibit will draw thousands to the campus during its 24-hour-a-day stay.
Dave Skocik, public affairs representative of Delaware’s VVA council, presented her the coin sent by National VVA President John McManus.
The Wall That Heals displays the names of 58,292 who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, including 120 from Delaware. Accompanying the wall is a mobile education center featuring a timeline of the Vietnam War, artifacts left at the wall, and names of hometown heroes. The exhibit provides an understanding of the legacy of those who served.
Hutchinson’s interest was sparked by a separate program known as In Memory, a tribute to Vietnam veterans who came home from the war and later died, and who are not listed on the wall. The In Memory unit will feature the names of New Castle County veterans so they are not forgotten, including her late father-in-law who inspired her for nearly 20 years. To learn more, go to vvmf.org/inmemory-apply.
The exhibit will draw thousands to the campus during its 24-hour-a-day stay. Visit www.WPTheWallThatHeals.com for more information on the exhibit, on volunteering to serve as a guide during its 24-hour-a-day visit, and contributing toward the cost of bringing and setting it up.
