By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s traveling exhibit, The Wall That Heals, will return to Del Rio this spring, according to the event’s organizer.
Adrian Bitela, founder of FOB Del Rio was pivotal to The Wall’s last visit, in March of 2020 when he served as the Val Verde County Veterans Services officer. This time, he’s bringing it in as part of FOB Del Rio.
FOB Del Rio is a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting area veterans, with a focus on services, advocacy and community engagement.
Bitela said the escort bringing the replica wall into the city is scheduled for April 14, with setup beginning April 15. It is slated to be in front of Romanelli Park in the soccer field.
An opening ceremony is planned for April 16, and the exhibit will remain open through April 19.
He said the traveling wall includes an extensive mobile education center — a large trailer filled with historical information, stories, photos and artifacts from the Vietnam War era, including uniforms and gear such as jungle boots used by American troops.
A trained team from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will guide visitors through the exhibit each day, Bitela said. FOB Del Rio is also coordinating with schools across the region, including Del Rio, Brackettville, Rocksprings, Eagle Pass, and others, to schedule large student tours so hundreds of high-schoolers can experience the full walkthrough.
However, the program only makes 32 stops; it’s practically unheard of for a community the size of Del Rio to get a stop, much less a second stop. The stop comes with a $16,000 price tag, money Bitela and the FOB Del Rio team is going to have to raise.
Fundraising has already begun through local bowling tournaments and FOB Del Rio’s next effort is a bowling tournament that will be held at Laughlin AFB.
Bitela plans to request HOT funds from local entities and hopes to raise support through different civic organizations.
“It’s a big event,” he said. “Not only do combat to end veterans homelessness, we ensure that our Vietnam veterans are not forgotten.”
The writer can be reached at JoelALangton@gmail.com .
