A 288-foot granite replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. will be on display Nov. 8 through Nov. 11 in Magnolia.
The wall will be open to the public for viewing from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the aforementioned dates at the Magnolia Apostolic Church/First Baptist Church grounds, 18525 FM 1488.
This marks the second time the traveling wall has come to Texas, said Beverly Tucker, who was instrumental in bringing the wall to Magnolia. The first appearance of the wall in Texas was in November 2010 in Crosby, she said. Tucker visited the wall in Crosby and was determined to bring it to Magnolia.
"When I saw it, I decided that we had to have it come to Magnolia," she said. "I met with someone and figured out how to get the wall to come to Magnolia and was told that it might be a couple of years. I was thrilled to be able to get it when we did, the weekend of Veterans Day."
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is owned by the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard located in Brevard County, Florida and travels the country to allow people the opportunity to see the wall in their hometown, according to the VVB website.
The event is being organized completely by volunteers, Tucker said. Once the wall arrives in town it will take five hours to erect. Once erected, the wall has to be guarded constantly, with at least two guards for the hours from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., she said.
Opening ceremony for the traveling wall is at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8 and is sponsored by the Magnolia Historical Society. State Rep. Cecil Bell, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady and Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson will speak at the event, Tucker said.
"I am very excited for this and I think we will have more people come see the wall than I am expecting," she said.