A smaller replica of the Vietnam War Memorial will be a short drive away, just for a few days.

The Wareham Veterans Council asked the Board of Selectmen for their support Tuesday night in bringing the Moving Wall to Wareham in 2017. Though the exact date has yet to be determined, the council suggested that the effort could be a tri-town exercise, with inclusion of Marion and Bourne.

The moving wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, District of Columbia, that has been touring the United States for more than 30 years. Moving Wall founder John Devitt created the project in 1984 to share the wall with those who could not get to original wall.

Council Chairman Bob White, Jim Bruce, and Joseph “Skip” Sarnelli said during their presentation it will cost the council $5,000 to bring the wall to town, and that the council will also cover the costs beyond that.

The initial $5,000 will cover driver wages, transportation costs, and other logistic costs like food. All other costs are associated with hosting, publicity, site preparation, insurance, security, and volunteer food.

The Veterans Council is currently in the process of developing a 501, C-3 Non-profit organization to support this program and other Veterans Council activities.

Bruce stated he has no doubt that the money involved isn't an issue, especially with a multi-town effort.

Once delivered, it will be the council's full responsibility to present, care for, disassemble and remove the wall. The assembling and disassembling of the Moving Wall will be done within 24 hours.

Selectmen Judith Whiteside was the first to address the veterans. After thanking the veterans for their services and for the programs they've provided, she shared her own experience of visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, District of Columbia.

“I went once and I will never go again, because I've lost so many family members both physically and mentally to a war we should've never been in," Whiteside said.

She expressed her full support in the program, but told the council she would be unable to see it herself.

“For those who cannot view it, there are plenty of other opportunities to serve it,” said White.

The Moving Wall will arrive at a site on Wednesday and set up will occur on Thursday. It will be available for viewing for four and a half days, until 4 p.m. on Monday.

Setup crew requires a minimum of 10 volunteers and will take approximately three hours to complete. Cleaning the Moving Wall every morning will take a half hour and require six volunteers.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved to support the Wareham Veterans Council on this project and support their application to bring the wall to Wareham.