Oklahomans and visitors from surrounding states joined thousands of Veterans May 14-17 at the Mitch Park Display in Edmond to experience The Wall That Heals. The three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., patriotically honors the men and women who gave their lives in Vietnam or later died as a result of their service.
At Mitch Park viewing the Wall installation, the highly decorated Vietnam Veteran and motivational speaker, Eddie R. Beesley, 80, explained he was also an author. The Oklahoman from near Beggs handed this
writer a book filled with his harrowing experiences in the Vietnam
War. The book details his journey of resilience, which inspired his powerful memoir, “Lucky Enough,” published in 2005.
Corporal Beesley enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1963 at
just 17 years old. In May 1965, he was deployed to Vietnam with
Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Brigade.
In August 1965, while serving as the point man on a
patrol near Chu Lai, Beesley’s platoon discovered an enemy minefield under construction. While maneuvering to assess
the situation, a squad leader stepped past him; as Beesley stepped back, he triggered a hidden landmine. The blast
killed two Marines and severely wounded four others.
The explosion resulted in the traumatic amputation of both
of Beesley’s legs, making him one of the first above-the-knee double amputees of the war.
Beesley wrote “Lucky Enough” to recount his life journey, his first emotional visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and his resilience in the face of tragedy.
“I am attracted to attend every offering of the Wall as I write about my visits often in my book,” Beesley said. “I pay solemn reverence to the men and women whose names are etched on the walls while paying particular attention to those I served with early in the war.”
Today, he lives with his wife Connie in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is active in the veteran community, serving as the Native American Chairman for the Department of Oklahoma Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in organizing tribal recognition ceremonies for fellow Veterans.
Community members and visitors engaged with the The Wall That
Heals over its four-day run at specific times for the exhibit’s major
events. This included the opening Native American Vietnam Service Recognition Ceremony, a heavily attended Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Ceremony, and the poignant “Light Up the Night” Oklahoma County MIA Tribute.
That powerful evening tribute honored the more than 100 Missing in Action service members from Oklahoma County during the Vietnam War. The special illumination of the Wall offered a moment of solemn remembrance for those still missing.
A HMONG SGU Recognition Ceremony honored the Hmong Special Guerrilla Units who served alongside U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.
Busloads of public-school students, local youth groups, and civic organizations toured the site during daylight hours. They found the accompanying Mobile Education Center on-site informative in learning about the history of the Vietnam War.
The 375-foot-long synthetic granite structure was equipped with LED lighting, allowing round-the-clock viewing. This meant many Veterans, families, and residents could visit during late-night and early-morning hours for private, quiet reflection away from the daytime crowds.
The Wall That Heals’ 140 panels contain the names of more than 58,000 Vietnam service members, 990 of whom are Oklahomans, ensuring accuracy and consistency with the original Memorial.
Edmond was chosen as one of only 31 host communities nationwide for the 2026 tour. The Mitch Park Display served visitors who otherwise would not be able to travel to the permanent memorial in Washington, D.C. Its mission was Honoring Service. Remembering Sacrifice. Healing Together.
The Edmond VFW Post 4938 coordinated the display with the help of the City of Edmond Parks and Recreation Department. The post recruited volunteers to assemble and dismantle it. They offered a six-day community partnership of public engagement, inviting everyone to take part in this shared act of patriotic remembrance.
Volunteers assisted the steady flow of people with finding specific names among the 58,000 etched into the The Wall That Heals. A large contingent of community volunteers worked around the clock, facilitating name rubbings and guiding visitors through the mobile museum.
Vietnam Veterans have been the focus of a groundswell of recognition over the past 14 years as the U.S. government has executed a sustained, multi-administration effort to provide “overdue recognition” to Vietnam-era Veterans.

• story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Women Veterans Recognition Day is not a separate Veterans Day for women. The day, celebrated yearly on June 12, recognizes, honors and remembers the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (pub.L. 80–625, 62 Stat. 356), allowing women the right to permanently serve in the regular armed forces.
Women have served in America’s wars and conflicts throughout our history. They played vital roles in the Revolutionary War, serving as soldiers, raising morale and spying on the enemy. It is known that some even disguised themselves as men to be able to serve. More than 400 women fought in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.
During World War I, about 35,000 women officially served. Women served in lifesaving roles such as nurses, and critical support staff roles such as the Hello Girls, formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. In World War II, 350,000 women served in the U.S. military in occupations such as nursing, military intelligence, cryptography and parachute rigging.
In August 1943, the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) merged into a single unit for all women pilots and formed the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). They flew more than 60 million miles in two years. During this time, the 6888th Battalion was formed as the first and only all-Black Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to deploy overseas during WWII. Their nickname was “Six-Triple Eight” and their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”
Breaking barriers on June Day 1948 – Before the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948, only women nurses could serve in the regular and reserve forces during peacetime. All other women were sent home after each conflict. The signing of the Act deemed women essential to the war efforts and allowed them to serve in the regular armed forces full time. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, coupled with President Truman’s decision to desegregate the military, also permitted African American women to officially serve in the military, five years after the 6888th Battalion accomplished its mission of cleaning two years of mail backlog in three months, twice. When women can, they do.
A day worth recognizing – June 12 proclamations and events around the U.S. each year commemorate the signing of the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act by President Truman in 1948. The date was first recognized as a commemorative date when the New York State Assembly declared June 12, 2008, to be Women Veterans’ Recognition Day.
Women served, women belong – Today, women serve in all military occupational specialties, including logistics, munitions, intelligence, and many combat. Women contribute to the most professional, educated, agile and strongest military the U.S. has ever seen.
Despite their longstanding service, many women Veterans struggle to be recognized, respected and valued as Veterans in civilian life. After all they have done and continue to do, women Veterans deserve the support and respect they have earned through their service. They should feel like they belong at VA.
VA understands that women Veterans face specific challenges and have unique health care needs. Beginning in 1992 with the Veterans Health Care Act, VA has been providing gender-specific care to eligible women Veterans. Since then, we have been expanding those gender-specific services and launching initiatives to make women Veterans aware of their well-deserved benefits. We also continue to support our facilities across the country in fostering a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for the women Veterans who come through our doors.
Recognize outstanding women – There is so much history about women Veterans to be told, and it’s important that women continue to be recognized for their service and sacrifice. On March 12, 2022, Public Law 117-97 was passed to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women’s Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ‘‘Six Triple Eight.’’
This June 12, to all women Veterans out there – Happy Women Veterans Recognition Day from VA and Oklahoma’s Veteran News.
by Missina Schallus, Navy Veteran and communications manager for the VA’s Center for Women Veterans.