​Truckload Carriers Association and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Continue Partnership in 2017 to Bring The Wall That Heals to Communities across America

ALEXANDRIA, VA… The Truckload Carriers Association(TCA) and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) have announced they will continue their partnership in 2017 to bring The Wall That Heals to communities across America.

TCA provides the opportunity for its member companies and professional truck drivers to drive the trailer hauling the exhibit, including The Wall replica and its accompanying mobile education center. One TCA member, Halvor Lines, has been selected to host The Wall That Heals next year from July 20-23 in Superior, Wisconsin.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in our nation's capital, with more than 5.6 million visitors each year. However, many Americans have not been able to visit what has become known to many as "The Wall."

Bringing The Wall home to communities provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities.

A 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Vietnam War. It bears the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

"Thousands of veterans are employed by trucking companies across the nation," said TCA President John Lyboldt. "This partnership is an opportunity for us to honor and give back to those brave men and women who have served our country and sacrificed for our freedoms."

"VVMF is honored to have the continued support of the Truckload Carriers Association as we spread the memorial's healing legacy around the country," said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. "With TCA members hauling The Wall, veterans and family members unable to visit Washington, DC were able to view The Wall in 35 communities as part of our 2016 tour. We expect even more stops and more visitors in 2017."

In recognition of their dedicated service, one TCA member has been selected to host The Wall That Heals in 2017. Halvor Lines will host The Wall from July 20-23, 2017, in Superior, Wisconsin.

"Halvor Lines is honored to have been awarded the opportunity to host The Wall That Heals in Superior in 2017. We are a proud supporter of military veterans and their families and look forward to sharing this experience with our community," said Jon Vinje, president and CEO of Halvor Lines, Inc.

The full 2017 tour schedule will be announced later in December. TCA members interested in supporting the effort to haul The Wall That Heals around the country are encouraged to visit www.vvmf.org/haul-the-wall for more information.

TCA members began hauling The Wall in 2015 and have now hauled The Wall to nearly 100 communities. More than 200,000 people visited The Wall That Heals in 2016. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 500 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. When The Wall That Heals is visiting a community, it provides an educational experience for local schools and organizations on the history of the Vietnam era and The Wall. Visitors can view photos of service members whose names are on The Wall, letters and memorabilia left at The Wall in Washington, D.C., a map of Vietnam, and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. The exhibits are designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.

For more information on The Wall That Heals, visit www.thewallthatheals.org. For information about the Truckload Carriers Association, follow its activities on Facebook—www.truckload.org/Facebook and Twitter www.truckload.org/Twitter.