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Marco Island Wall ceremony, Nov. 7, 2011

See larger Major Joe Varano, US Army (retd.) shows the clicker indicating over 1,000 visitors to the wall on Marco. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

Photo by LANCE SHEARER

Major Joe Varano, US Army (retd.) shows the clicker indicating over 1,000 visitors to the wall on Marco. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

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  • Vietnam vet Ron Hobson stands as part of an informal honor guard. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • A police honor guard stands at attention for the Pledge of Allegiance. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Veterans and dignitaries spoke to a crowd of hundreds at a dedication ceremony Wednesday afternoon. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Major Joe Varano, US Army (retd.) shows the clicker indicating over 1,000 visitors to the wall on Marco. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Therese Schmidt views the wall. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • A police honor guard stands at attention for the Pledge of Allegiance. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Veteran Kevin Murphy stands vigil. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • A police honor guard stands at attention for the Pledge of Allegiance. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Anna Schilling sings the National Anthem during Wednesday's dedication ceremony. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • A Vietnam-era Cobra helicopter is part of the display. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
  • Jack Studley uncaps for the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. The Wall That Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on Marco Island for a four-day stay at Veterans' Community Park. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m., organizers held a dedication ceremony at the site. Hundreds gathered in the bright sun to greet the wall, pay their respects, and listen to veterans and local dignitaries say what it meant to them. Before the speeches, 29 young musicians from the Marco Island Charter Middle School jazz band played patriotic music, and a Civil Air Patrol airplane buzzed the park twice in a flyover. On the ground, a Vietnam-era jeep and a Cobra helicopter, both complete with mounted .50 caliber machine guns, stood guard next to the wall, with its powder-coated aluminum panels laser-etched with the names of the fallen.

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