An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

The Wall That Heals

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Madelyn Brown
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Wall That Heals brought 58,286 Vietnam veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice to friends, family members and those who fought by their side Feb. 27 to March 2 at the capitol building in Sacramento, Calif.

The wall is a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. It stretches 250 feet and includes all of the names of those killed or missing in action from the Vietnam conflict, according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

A mobile museum accompanies the memorial and includes thousands of photos, artifacts and remembrances of the fallen.

Col. Corey Martin, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, addressed the crowd as the guest speaker during the opening ceremony.

"When my generation returns from war we are welcomed back and greeted warmly," he said. "I know this was not the case for the Vietnam generation."

California Assemblyman Jim Frazier, and host of the event, agreed that the Vietnam veterans more than deserved an outpouring of support that was not received during their time in service.

"One way to honor the fallen and reflect on the sacrifices of those who served in Vietnam is to visit The Wall That Heals," Frazier said. "It is my honor and privilege to host this event in Sacramento and to share it with the community."

As the ceremony proceeded through the drizzling rain, Tony Cordero sat in the crowd in remembrance of his father, William Cordero.

"My dad was a navigator on the B-57s," Cordero said. "We moved to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and it became normal for him to go on missions that would last for weeks at a time."

William Cordero was on one such mission in June 1965, until a knock on the door made it anything but ordinary.

"The squadron commander and the chaplain came to my house and told us he was missing," Tony Cordero said. "After we returned to California, they would continue to visit us throughout the next few years to tell us there was no news."

A 4-year-old Tony Cordero, his three siblings and his expecting mother would live in darkness for the next four years. In 1969, the Cordero family received their final knock.

"They brought back the remains of my father, along with the pilot of the aircraft," he said. "It was collectively enough to fill a shoe box."

According to Tony Cordero, the tragedy did not leave the family unscathed. As Tony Cordero grew up and approached his 30s, he realized he was going to live to an age his father never reached.

Tony Cordero recognized the need for a community among children of those killed in war. He has since dedicated his life to Sons and Daughters in Touch, America's Gold Star children from the Vietnam War.

"We are able to bring together people who have similar experiences," he said. "We've even had Father's Day celebrations at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., as well as a two-week trip to Vietnam in 2003."

William Cordero was laid to rest in Section 46 of the Arlington National Cemetery. His name can be found on Panel 2E, Row 15 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

The Corderos hail from Santa Barbara, Calif. For Tony Cordero, to see his father's memorial in his home state on the traveling Vietnam Memorial created a special reunion.

"He is my family and this is home," Cordero said. "It's a harmonic convergence."