The Wall of Honor

The Wall of Honor originally called Faces of the Fallen represents all of our Fallen Heroes that gave their lives in combat operations from 2001 through 2021. As of November 2021, it now includes the service men and women killed in action of Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. The Wall of Honor did not change much in size after Vets Helping Vets HQ took over ownership of it. Each panel is 38” by 82”and there are 34 panels with 104 names on each side of the panels. There are 2 panels dedicated to Major sponsors and panels that explain when and how each of the wars began.

The Wall of Honor can be set up and displayed at your location. We have had great success displaying the Wall of Honor at schools, museums, shopping malls and other various locations. Viewing the Wall of Honor is an emotional experience for many and reminds us that the price of freedom is not free. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Read the history of the Wall of Honor below. To arrange to have the traveling Wall of Honor brought to your location contact Vets Helping Vets HQ at (541) 791-4357.

History of the Wall

The Wall of Honor was originally called Faces of the Fallen and is a visual tribute to each serviceman or woman killed in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The display was originally created in 2003 by Alicia Tallman for her senior project at Milwaukie High School. Her sister, Kelly Tallman, assumed responsibility for updating the display. All of the students who have worked on Faces of the Fallen have taken great pride and ownership in the project, ensuring that each individual is properly honored.

The original Faces of the Fallen consisted of 24 panels, measuring eight feet tall by three feet wide, with biographies and photos on both sides. Its flexible design enabled the user to configure set-up based on available space or desired impact. The size and magnitude gives viewers an immediate, breathtaking sense of ultimate sacrifice made by today’s soldiers. When InSpirit Marketing Inc. started the B-Mart Freedom Fest celebration in Albany nine years ago, they arranged for the Faces of the Fallen to be brought to Albany and set up at Heritage Mall from late October through the weekend after Veterans Day. InSpirit Marketing continued this every year until 2014, at which time they looked for an organization to take over possession and maintain the Hall of Honor.

Vets Helping Vets HQ was approached and took possession of it the summer of 2014. The Wall of Honor formerly known as Faces of the Fallen, was only current through the year 2010. During the time it was on display at the Heritage Mall in Albany, Oregon 2014, Arthur Meeker, owner of Xtreme Grafx, a graphic art company, approached Vets Helping Vets HQ, (VHVHQ), with a proposal that he would reprint all the data on new panels before the next viewing in October, 2015. Many thousands of hours was put in to create a new format for the new “Wall of Honor”. On October 9, 2015 at 6:30 PM the last panel was printed to represent those servicemen and women of all branches across the USA that paid the price in Iraq and Afghanistan. Later that evening it was put on display at the Heritage Mall again, only this time with a new look.

The Wall of Honor represents our Fallen Heroes from 2001 through 2021. As of November, 2021, it now includes the service men and women killed in action of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. The “new” Wall of Honor did not change much in size. Each panel is 38” by 82”. There are now 34 panels with 104 names on each side of the panels. There are 2 panels dedicated to Major sponsors and panels that explain when and how each of the wars began.

We have to remember that while most people celebrate Veterans Day and Memorial Day just two days per year, for Gold Star families, those who have lost someone in war, those memories are every day of the year. There is an empty chair at the dinner table every night.