HAWAIIAN GARDENS, Calif. — Ashley Pacific Northwest driver Jeff Webert said that hauling a memorial to one of America’s deadliest wars is about more than just doing his job — it’s about honoring his family and country.
Webert, who comes from a military family but didn’t serve himself, is one of many truck drivers who will carry The Wall That Heals around the nation throughout the rest of this year.
The wall, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Since 1996, the wall has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation.
Just like the original, the replica wall is etched with the names of 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Along with a mobile education center, the project is designed to teach people about the war and those who fought and died in it.
The Trucker caught up with Webert during the wall’s second stop of the year on Saturday, March 25, in Hawaiian Gardens, California.
He picked up the wall in San Luis Obispo, California, stopped in Hawaiian Gardens, then will head to Citrus Heights, California, where it will be unpacked and placed on display from Thursday, March 30, through Sunday, April 2.
After that, Webert will guide his truck to Menifee, California, before heading out to Texas, where another driver will pick up from there.
“It means a lot to me,” Webert said of hauling the memorial. “My aunt served in Vietnam, and so it is my way of giving back and to show my respects to her and everybody that served my country. It means a lot for the little kids seeing the trailer go up and down the road. I just means a lot to me.”
2023 scheduled stops
| Menifee, California | The Wall That Heals Menifee Committee | 4/6/23 | 4/9/23 |
| Edinburg, Texas | UT Rio Grande Valley & The City of Edinburg, TX | 4/20/23 | 4/23/23 |
| College Station, Texas | Bring The Wall That Heals to Aggieland | 4/27/23 | 4/30/23 |
| Kyle, Texas | AMVETS 115 & City of Kyle, TX | 5/4/23 | 5/7/23 |
| Great Bend, Kansas | The Wall That Heals Great Bend Committee | 5/11/23 | 5/14/23 |
| Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Nicolet College | 5/18/23 | 5/21/23 |
| Mendota Heights, Minnesota | Saint Thomas Academy | 5/26/23 | 5/29/23 |
| Crivitz, Wisconsin | The Village of Crivitz | 6/1/23 | 6/4/23 |
| Springfield, Missouri | Serenity Honors Brings The Wall That Heals | 6/8/23 | 6/11/23 |
| Kalispell, Montana | Glacier Park Post 2252 | 6/22/23 | 6/25/23 |
| Meridian, Idaho | Veterans of Idaho Welcome The Wall That Heals | 6/29/23 | 7/2/23 |
| Eureka, Illinois | The Wall That Heals – Eureka 2023 Committee | 7/13/23 | 7/16/23 |
| Monticello, Minnesota | “MSV” Monticello Supporting Veterans | 7/20/23 | 7/23/23 |
| Centerville, Ohio | Washington-Centerville Public Library | 7/27/23 | 7/30/23 |
| Chillicothe, Missouri | The Wall That Heals Comes to Livingston County | 8/3/23 | 8/6/23 |
| Brownstown, Indiana | For Veterans of Jackson County Committee | 8/10/23 | 8/13/23 |
| Middletown, Indiana | Operation Welcome Home Middletown, IN | 8/24/23 | 8/27/23 |
| Gibsonburg, Ohio | Village of Gibsonburg & Sandusky County | 8/31/23 | 9/3/23 |
| Sanford, Maine | Sanford Elks 1470 & The City of Sanford | 9/7/23 | 9/10/23 |
| Auburn, New York | The Wall That Heals, Auburn-Cayuga County, New York | 9/14/23 | 9/17/23 |
| Kutztown, Pennsylvania | Kutztown Vietnam Veterans Breakfast Club | 9/21/23 | 9/24/23 |
| New York | NYC Department of Veterans’ Services | 9/28/23 | 10/1/23 |
| Copiague, New York | Town of Babylon | 10/5/23 | 10/8/23 |
| Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania | Fayette County, Pennsylvania 2023 | 10/12/23 | 10/15/23 |
| Caldwell, Ohio | The Wall That Heals – Noble County | 10/19/23 | 10/22/23 |
| Upper Providence Twp, Pennsylvania | Upper Providence Township Committee | 10/26/23 | 10/29/23 |
| Havelock, North Carolina | The Wall That Heals Havelock Committee | 11/2/23 | 11/5/23 |
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | Spartanburg County Veterans’ Affairs | 11/9/23 | 11/12/23 |
| Nags Head, North Carolina | The Dare County Veterans Advisory Council | 11/16/23 | 11/19/23 |
For more information about the wall, click here.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
