We have a 1/3 replica of the wall at my local cemetery. Couple of Vietnam KIAs are buried in the section right in front of it (and tons of Vietnam vets). I go over there often and reflect. I wasn’t born, but trust me, I understand the sacrifice.
I was with a WW2 vet when the traveling wall came through Chicago in 1986 as I recall. After he spent a few minutes he broke down completely, went back to office and turned in retirement papers.
My grandfather was a WW2 combat vet. Never spoke of the war at all. When I was 22 he got pancreatic cancer. He called my to his house for a week. He took me back to his study and told me everything over about 5 hours and told me to ask any questions I had and he would answer. He was gone ~ 6 weeks later. I’m so glad he isn’t here to see what the country has become.