NITRO, WV (WOWK) – After more than a decade of traveling around the state, the West Virginia Vietnam Memorial Mobile Wall will soon find a permanent home in Nitro.

For the past 11 years, the memorial wall has traveled to all 55 counties of West Virginia, honoring the 732 West Virginians who died in Vietnam.

“It’s a very humbling experience to travel with the wall and it’s a very humbling experience to meet family members,” said Dave Simmons, West Virginia State Council President for the Vietnam Veterans of America. “It kind of taught us the good faith of the West Virginia veterans and their family members that the guys on our wall will not be forgotten.”

Simmons was one of the Vietnam Veterans who started the memorial wall. He said it has been a humbling experience meeting the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but it is time that the wall is retired to a more permanent home.

When looking for somewhere to permanently display it, he said they wanted a place that people could go to see it year-round. That was one of the reasons they chose Nitro Wars Museum.

“That means something to us because, in 20 years to 25 years, there’s young people that are going to want to know about Vietnam and what happened in Vietnam,” he said. “We’ll have the names of those that died in Vietnam; so, they won’t be forgotten.” 

This past weekend, the wall was displayed at Camp Dawson in Preston County, but Simmons said it will be displayed one more time in Hurricane on May 24 before permanently staying in Nitro.

A Nitro spokesperson confirmed the purchase; however, they are still working on finalizing the details for when it will come to the Nitro Wars Museum.