The Michigan Heritage and Research Foundation (MH & RF), along with hundreds of volunteers, hosted events and invited visitors to come see the wall.

This structure frequently endures the elements in order to ensure that those who may never have a chance to go to Washington D.C. will instead have the memorial brought to them, directly placing it into their community for a period of a few days.

Ê Each name on the wall represents a far weightier journey than that made by the wall - that of an individual who has given his or her life in defense of his or her country and its ideals.

"I think it's phenomenal," said Carri Latta, who volunteered - along with her fellow Kalkaska Moose Lodge members - to be part of the surveillance teams required to have the memorial available for 24-hour-a-day viewing.

"When we heard that the wall was coming and that it needed to be watched 24 hours a day, we were willing to put together a crew," she said. "Within 10 minutes, we had our crew. They just went right down the line, asking for volunteers, and everybody said 'yes.'"

The wall was set up Aug. 7 to 11.

"It looks really obscure from the back, but when you get up close and can see all the names, it is a humbling experience," Latta said.

The wall's visitors also noted the change that distance makes, Latta said.

From afar, the names look like they are solid lines scribbled on a background of black, but upon closer inspection, the sheer amount of names on the wall is staggering.

"Many people comment that they hope Iraq doesn't get to this magnitude," she said. "We've seen a lot of prayers at the wall."

Vietnam Veteran Ken Schalau came nearly 150 miles, from West Branch, to keep a vigil at the wall and pay his respects.

"I have 300 Navy friends who are on there," he said. "I owe them a lot because I'm still here."

Schalau spent the first couple nights camped out at the fairgrounds, sleeping in his truck and returning to the wall when he awoke.

"These guys are worth it," he said. "Everybody realizes that. They all have a lot of respect for the wall. A lot of them lost a brother or a father or a cousin or a friend."

Schalau brought two eagles carved with a chainsaw along with him to donate to the Traverse City VFW and the community of Kalkaska respectively. "If I'm in the area, I'll always go," Schalau said. "It's hard to get away from. I've lost too many friends."

Schalau has previously visited the wall when it made stops in Petoskey, Monroe and Lansing.

"It's something everybody needs to see," he said. "It's a healing process for the Veterans, but also for the country. It gives them a chance to show their respect."