Ron Anderson and Scott Shumway both stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Wednesday, April 15 to promote The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that is coming to Afton July 9-12. Anderson chairs the Memory Committee while Shumway chairs the Education Committee.

(0:02) 846 this morning live on SBI Radio, Swift 98 and The Spur heading into our second guest (0:08) interview segment this morning and getting ready for the Wall That Heels, the traveling (0:12) Vietnam’s veteran memorial that is coming to the Star Valley area this summer. (0:17) And in studio right now is Scott Shumway and Ron Anderson, both are part of the Wyoming (0:22) Welcomes the Wall That Heels board and they’ll be in discussing a number of various items (0:28) today as we get ready for the Wall That Heels that’s coming up and on the way. (0:32) So gentlemen, good morning, thank you for joining us today, appreciate your time today.

(0:36) Morning Duke, appreciate you inviting us. (0:39) Absolutely. (0:39) Thank you.

(0:40) Absolutely. (0:41) So Ron, let’s start with you. (0:43) Ron Anderson is over the committee that’s doing the, let’s see, the Memory Committee.

(0:50) The Memory Committee, yes. (0:51) And tell us what the Memory Committee does, Ron. (0:54) The Memory Committee is identifying Vietnam soldiers who returned from the war and have (1:02) since passed away.

(1:04) So basically it’s an extension of the wall but not etched in the stone. (1:10) It’s a database and we send their application in after they have passed away and if they (1:16) get accepted then it’ll be part of the educational wall and this summer when the Wyoming (1:23) Welcomes the Wall That Heels, the ones that fit that category here in Star Valley, we’ll (1:29) have them featured on the educational wall. (1:32) Okay, that’s very cool.

(1:33) So are you looking for those individuals right now then? (1:35) So far we have identified over 30 that qualify. (1:40) Now we haven’t finished their applications and that’s where we need the help from the (1:44) public because we have to prove their service and one of the most important things we do (1:49) is get a DD-214, which is their military separation record that shows that they did serve in (1:56) Vietnam during the conflict. (1:59) So we have identified them but we need help from their families and the community, which (2:07) we’ve already received a lot.

(2:08) We’ve got lots of people working on it with the Star Valley Historical Society Board and (2:13) others we’ve contacted and we do have a lot of data all ready to be submitted to the (2:18) community in memory but we’re going to need some more help. (2:21) Okay, and so how do people get in touch with you then to start that process? (2:26) Well if they want to contact me through the Star Valley Historical Society Facebook page (2:31) they can do that. (2:32) We’ve had contact that information but they can also call me on my cell phone 307-248-1315 (2:41) if they have any information.

(2:43) Now my goal right now is to share the names of those individuals that we think will fit (2:50) the category of having passed away since the war. (2:55) I’m going to post a list of that on our Star Valley Historical Society Facebook so we can (3:03) let people know and I’ll mark those, the ones that we need help with especially. (3:09) So if you see that posted, jump right in.

(3:14) If you know the family and can gain some information on the information we need to submit their (3:20) application. (3:21) Yeah, I think it’s a fantastic way to localize this wall that’s coming here because it does (3:27) have the database of course the names from all over the nation but to have that from (3:32) the people right here in Star Valley, I think that’s fantastic and I really hope people (3:36) reach out to you and get that going. (3:37) So anything else you’d like to mention Ron regarding this? (3:41) Well it’s been an amazing project so far because there’s a massive amount of research (3:46) that’s been done and we’ve had people helping with it.

(3:48) Clear across the state of Wyoming, we’ve reached into southeast Idaho which they can (3:53) submit on the wall but they will not be featured here in Wyoming. (3:56) But we’ve spread the word, I’ve met many people from across the state and found out (4:03) their stories of service in the Vietnam War and it’s just a really, really sad situation (4:11) that a lot of them lived through because of the effect of Agent Orange, PTSD, after their (4:17) service in the war and many of them we find that that is what ultimately took their life. (4:24) So the statement’s been made, killed in Vietnam, just haven’t died yet.

(4:29) So anyway, it’s thank people that’s helped us so far and hope people join in and search (4:36) out for some information to help us put this data together. (4:40) Ron Anderson, chair of the memory committee for Wyoming Welcomes the Wall That Heals which (4:46) is coming this July to the Afton area. (4:49) Also in studio this morning is Scott Shumway, Scott is the chair of the education committee.

(4:54) Scott appreciate your time as well today, tell us what the education committee oversees (4:58) here. (4:58) Well, the visit of the Wall That Heals provides an excellent opportunity for everyone in (5:06) the community to refocus on the sacrifices of those that fought in that and other wars (5:10) and appreciate more of the blessings of freedom we enjoy every day resulting from those sacrifices. (5:15) So our job is to spread the word, spread the word to the schools, we’ve got, we’ve reached (5:22) out to the churches in the community organizations, let them know that the wall is coming.

(5:28) The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. is one of the most visited memorials there (5:35) with over four million visitors every year. (5:38) To have the opportunity to have a replica of that war come to our community, especially (5:45) three days after the 250th birthday celebration is just an amazing privilege and opportunity. (5:53) And so we want to spread the word that for people to come and experience it.

(5:58) As a young man growing, well we lived in Washington, D.C. during the time when our children were (6:06) growing up, so we made it a practice to visit whenever we had a weekend free, the memorials, (6:13) the different things that they had there, the battlefields. (6:19) The time our children would roll their eyes and say not again, but it’s interesting now (6:24) that they’ve grown and have children of their own and grandchildren of their own, when we (6:29) get together they talk about those experiences. (6:31) There’s a deep feeling of reverence when you visit these places and probably none more (6:39) so than the Vietnam War Memorial.

(6:42) So what we’d like to do is reach out to families, reach out to school classes, reach out to (6:49) organizations, churches, and say come and visit it. (6:53) It’s right here and it’s free and maybe 45 minutes to an hour of your time you can experience (7:00) this same deep reverential feeling of the Vietnam War and what happened. (7:06) And it really is great for everyone of all ages, right? (7:11) And if you bring your young kids, they may not understand or appreciate it in the moment, (7:15) but like you said, as they grow older, they’re going to be able to look back on that experience (7:19) and I think it’ll sink in just how important it was, right? (7:24) One of the things that we will have here that they don’t have in Washington, D.C. is the (7:30) Mobile Education Center and there are some things that you can learn and see there that (7:34) you wouldn’t see in Washington, D.C. (7:36) For example, you’ll find there a small package, a brown package about the size of a briefcase (7:44) wrapped in string and they tell the story of that package.

(7:49) A mother who had sent her son off to war in Vietnam gathered together, we don’t know what’s (7:56) in it, it’s still packaged, sent it to him as a remembrance of home, probably had some (8:02) treats that he liked, some favorite things from his hometown. (8:07) Unfortunately, he was killed before the package arrived, so it was sent back to her. (8:13) So as kind of a remembrance to him, she took that article and left it at the wall.

(8:19) So every, there had been over 400,000 items left at the wall as kind of an enclosure and (8:25) it was her way of showing to her son her appreciation and you’ll be able to see that (8:30) package here at the Mobile Education Center. (8:32) Yeah, that’s incredible actually. (8:34) I’m sure there’s going to be all kinds of various artifacts and stories that will be (8:37) included in that.

(8:38) So it happens July 9th through the 12th, it’s going to be at Star Valley Middle School (8:44) and you of course can find more details at thewallthathealsaftonwy2026.com, thewallthathealsaftonwy2026.com (8:54) and in studio again this morning, Ron Anderson and Scott Shumway. (8:59) Scott, anything we missed on what your role is here that you’d like to mention today? (9:03) No, we’re sending out, we have representative school teachers actually that are contacting (9:09) particularly this month, the month of April, now that state exams are over. (9:14) Teachers might be looking for curriculum, so we have sample curriculum we’re sending (9:17) out to all the schools in this area and surrounding area.

(9:20) We’ve actually contacted BYU-Idaho, who would still be in session at the time, they may (9:25) send a bus, and give them the opportunity to teach. (9:30) The Vietnam War was an interesting war, it was the first one when the media was involved (9:36) directly, and I remember as a young man, every night on the TV we saw images of the war, (9:42) what happened that day, and it changed the way the war progressed, the way the government (9:48) treated it. (9:48) And some will remember that there were complaints about the war, and people who made fun of (9:56) those who served.

(9:57) People who went over and sacrificed, did what their country asked them to do, some of them (10:03) gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, and many who came home were treated poorly (10:08) after they came home. (10:09) The wall gives an opportunity to go and receive closure for that, and it’s an opportunity (10:15) for us as a community to honor those people. (10:18) So it’s a great opportunity, and just pleased to be a part of it.

(10:21) That’s very well said. (10:22) Again, in studio this morning, Scott Shumway and Ron Anderson, The Wall That Heals comes (10:27) to Star Valley in Afton July 9th through the 12th, Ron, anything we missed you’d like to (10:31) mention today? (10:31) Yeah, I’d like to mention that the Star Valley Historical Society has been excited all year (10:36) in celebrating the semi-quincentennial, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, (10:42) and that was a fight for liberty, and we have covered this year all the wars, and here in (10:48) a month we’ll talk about the Vietnam War, but this week we’re going to talk about World (10:53) War II and the Korean Conflict. (10:56) So it’s been an education that’s going to be culminated by the climax, you know, when (11:01) The Wall That Heals comes to Star Valley, the fight for liberty worldwide over the last (11:08) 250 years.

(11:09) Absolutely. (11:10) So again, it’s July 9th through the 12th, The Wall That Heals. (11:12) You can find details at TheWallThatHealsAftonWy2026.com. (11:19) Ron Anderson and Scott Shumway this morning.

(11:21) It’s all part of the weekday wake-up on SVI Radio.