Area students stream to 'Wall That Heals' exhibit in Slater

Slater fifth-grade students, from left to right: Michael Davis, Ali Riley, Dalton Fry and Drew Weiker, gather around a memorial left by a visitor to "The Wall That Heals" in Slater. [Click to enlarge]

"The Wall That Heals" in Slater had a busy opening day on Thursday, Aug. 24. School groups from Marshall, Slater and other area schools toured the exhibit throughout the day in addition to a constant stream of individual visitors from Saline County and beyond.

"The Wall That Heals" is a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica stretches to nearly 250 feet in length and will be accompanied by an information center and a traveling museum displaying memorabilia left at the wall in Washington.

"The veterans who greeted us inspired us," said Jane Huff, who was leading a group of sixth graders from Marshall's Bueker Middle School.

Ron Monnig helps Michael Davis (background) and Robert Hager, both fifth-graders at Slater, find names on "The Wall That Heals" exhibit in Slater. [Click to enlarge]

The sixth graders also visited the Slater Veterans Park in downtown Slater and participated in a scavenger hunt.

The kids were very respectful and full of questions, Huff said, "They are making us proud," she added.

Individual visitors began arriving almost as soon as the exhibit opened at 9 a.m.

James Morgan traveled all the way from Moberly to see the exhibit.

"I've always wanted to see the wall," Morgan said "I don't know if I'll ever make it to the one in Washington, so I came here."

Cara Brown brought her fifth-grade class from Slater Elementary school. Some of her students searched the wall for Saline County names. Robert Hager searched the wall for veterans also with the surname Hager. He found out that there were four on the wall.

Co-organizers Ron Monnig and Charlie Guthrie both of Slater, said that things were going well and that they were happy to see so many visitors. They also thought that the school children were learning a lot at the wall.

Tony Gallagher of Sedalia, the commander of the Voiture Local 333 in Sedalia who led some of the children on tours of the exhibit, said that the children were "taken aback when they hear the figures."

It's hard not to be taken aback by the numbers: More than 50,000 Americans killed. The average age of those killed, 19 years.

"It makes you think about all of the other wars too and how many people died in the other ones." Said Mary Rose Gonzalez, a member of Brown's class.

Some of the children from Brown's classed stopped to look at the small memorials placed by visitors at the base of the wall. They knelt down to read the names.

"It's scary because the names all sound familiar." said Amanda Foltz of Brown's class.

The exhibit will be open for viewing 24 hours a day, from 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, until 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27.

A full schedule of events and speakers are scheduled through the weekend as well. Speakers scheduled to appear include U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Major General King E. Stillwell, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. Numerous local politicians and officials are scheduled to appear as well as a flyover on Saturday, Aug. 26, by four T-38 jets from Whiteman Air Force Base.

Contact Zach Sims at

marshallbusiness@socket.net