This September, our community will host the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Mission, offering our residents and visitors an extraordinary opportunity to come together to honor, respect and remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country during the Vietnam War, and to educate all to the cost of freedom in America.

The traveling Vietnam Veterans wall is a three-fifth’s scale of the actual Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., containing the names of fallen heroes in the Vietnam conflict. The wall stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.

Sponsored by the Friendly Valley Veterans Club and several local businesses and agencies, the traveling wall will be here in Santa Clarita from Sept. 26-29, at the Valencia Town Center, and open to the public for viewing 24 hours a day.

The Traveling Memorial stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit the wall in their home town, who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington, D.C.

Santa Clarita is home to thousands of veterans. Our community has demonstrated its deep caring of our veterans over the years. Various programs, events and fundraisers for veterans have yielded help for wounded warriors and their families, including housing, social services and job support. The American Veterans Traveling Tribute Mission wall visit to Santa Clarita continues that tradition of care and attention to our heroes.

Each of the evenings from Sept. 26-29 will include brief remarks by dignitaries and elected officials, as well as special music. On the 29th, a closing ceremony will be held. Local Boy Scouts have accepted the charge to read the list of each of the more than 58,000 names on the wall, spanning 24 hours a day for the four days.

To help educate our young people about the Vietnam conflict, our city and county libraries have partnered with the Friendly Valley Veterans Club to host an essay contest. Students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades have already submitted entries and are competing for $1,000, $750 and $500 in scholarship money.

New details about the Wall and ancillary events are posted regularly to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaVeteransWall.

I want to personally thank the Friendly Valley Veterans Club, KHTS AM-1220, the city of Santa Clarita and our many sponsors for their incredible support of this project.

Bob Kellar is mayor of the city of Santa Clarita.