PENN YAN, N.Y. (WENY) -- It was an emotional day in Penn Yan as The Wall That Heals made its way into town on Tuesday.  Hundreds of community members participated in escorting the wall to Hicks Street as a way to honor the more than 58,000 names that are etched on the wall.

The Wall That Heals started traveling the country in 1996.  Since then, it has visited more than 700 communities nationwide.

"It brings healing to the community.  Those veterans that can't go to the wall in D.C., they come out and they get that closure, that same closure if they were to get if they were to visit their buddies in D.C.  So, it brings it full circle," said Elaine Koontz, the site manager for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

The Wall That Heals only visits a few cities each year, and Penn Yan was chosen as one of them.  A group from Yates County decided apply for The Wall That Heals to visit, to give the community the opportunity to see it in person.

"It's a vibrant area, and there are a lot of veterans in the area, a lot of Vietnam veterans.  People along the road as the motorcycle escorted the tractor trailer here, it's all very powerful, it's very emotional.  It just sort of creeps up on you, and you start watching it, and all of a sudden you get teary eyed. You feel it well up inside you, just knowing that people appreciate what you did," said Win Harper, the co-chair of the Yates County Wall That Heals Committee.  Harper is a Vietnam Veteran.

More than 300 people signed up to escort The Wall That Heals to the newly renamed "Vietnam Veterans Way".  Organizers say they see it as a way to educate, and also honor those whose names are on the wall.

"I think it's an opportunity for everyone. A lot of people aren't going to make it to Washington D.C., and this three-quarter replica is about as real as you can get," said Alan 'Herbie' Snyder, a Vietnam Veteran, and a member of the Yates County Wall That Heals Committee. "I think it's important that part of the healing process will bring the population together and the Vietnam veterans together.

Veterans and community members alike said the experience was moving.

"We came to honor these people who couldn't be with us today. It was our honor to be here for them, they fought hard," said David William Keukelaar.  Keukelaar served in Vietnam from 1970 until 1971, and participated in the escort of the wall.

The Wall That Heals will be assembled by volunteers on Wednesday morning, and opening ceremonies will take place Thursday at 10 a.m.  The Wall That Heals and its mobile education center will be on display continuously until Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. 

More information about The Wall That Heals can be found here.