THE WALL THAT HEALS | Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial on display in Bedford

The Wall That Heals has popped up in nearby communities over the years; before coming to Bedford this week, it was on display in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, in 2018. 

Like the permanent memorial in the nation’s capital, The Wall That Heals contains the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam. The display starts low, slopes up gradually to eventually loom over visitors, and then slopes down again.

Among those names are 21 Bedford County residents, Commissioner Chairman Josh Lang said. For the sake of honoring both the deceased and those who returned from the war, Lang said he felt it was vital to bring the display to the county.

Lang said it took about a year for them to get set up to have the wall displayed in Bedford. He recalled that he approached local Vietnam veterans about bringing the wall to town a bit more than a year ago, “and they thought it was instantly a great idea.”

From the time those conversations began to the present, Lang said bringing The Wall That Heals to Bedford has been a boon for unity in the community.

“It was amazing to see the amount of community support we were able to have,” Lang said.

On Tuesday, the display was escorted by a group of firefighters, police and motorcyclists from New Paris to the athletic field at Bedford Middle School where it is currently displayed.

On Wednesday, a group of volunteers labored through a hot and humid day to set it up, panel by panel. The final result, though smaller in size than the one in D.C., is an impressive sight nonetheless.

“We took the time to really reflect on the stories of the Vietnam veterans as we touched each and every one of those panels, carrying them individually,” Lang said. “It was a very powerful, very emotional thing that we were able to do.”

Asked about the significance of bringing The Wall That Heals to Bedford, Lang spoke at length.

“To bring an event like this to the community, I think it says a lot,” Lang said. “I don’t think we can ever do enough to repay the debt of gratitude for what each and every one of these Vietnam veterans have done for us, for their service, for their sacrifice.

“Most of them didn’t choose to go, but they went and they came back, and there wasn’t a clear division,” Lang said. “People couldn’t separate their hatred for the war from the warrior, and many of them didn’t get the respect that they deserve for defending our freedoms and way of life.”

Lang is a veteran himself, having served a 15-month tour in Afghanistan and six years in the U.S. Army. So, he said, he is familiar with the ways society fails to support servicemen and women upon their return home.

“It’s nowhere near what the Vietnam veterans faced, but you still see a lot of veterans who don’t receive the care that they deserved,” Lang said. “I want (residents) to learn and hear some of the stories, hear what they went through.”

Among the local names listed on the memorial is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Hartsock, who was serving with the 44th Infantry Platoon when they were attacked in February 1969, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s website. In the midst of the assault, Hartsock and his commander managed to hide from view, waiting until they could fire on the enemy squad that had infiltrated the base as they approached the tactical operations center.

Per the website, “As a wounded enemy soldier fell, he managed to detonate a satchel charge he was carrying. Staff Sgt. Hartsock, with complete disregard for his life, threw himself on the charge and was gravely wounded. In spite of his wounds, Staff Sgt. Hartsock crawled about five meters to a ditch and provided heavy suppressive fire, completely pinning down the enemy and allowing his commander to seek shelter. Staff Sgt. Hartsock continued his deadly stream of fire until he succumbed to his wounds.”

Hartsock, who was born in Cumberland and joined the Army while living in Fairmont, West Virginia, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and is buried at the Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery.

His cousin, Jim Hartsock, of Bedford, recalled for the Times-News on Thursday that he deployed three months after “Bobby” was killed in action, serving with the U.S. Navy. 

Hartsock was on the committee to bring the display to town. He was also among those who helped assemble it on Wednesday.

“Just to get this thing in here was something we really needed,” Hartsock said. “You never know who can’t go to the wall down in D.C., but they can come here and talk to veterans, and then maybe go to the wall if they have a buddy to help. You ought to see it at night when it’s all lit up. It’s fantastic.”

Hartsock has visited the monument in Washington several times, but said he appreciates the chance to see its replica here in town nonetheless.

“Showing people and being around it, I’m telling you, it’s something,” Hartsock said.

Later this year, Hartsock said, a monument will be erected in town in his cousin’s honor.

Still, “I’m sure he’d rather be here,” Jim Hartsock said of Bobby.

There will be a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the display, which will conclude on Sunday at 2 p.m. For the time being, it is open round-the-clock to visitors. 

Follow staff writer Lindsay Renner-Wood on Twitter @LindsayRenWood.