Although millions of visitors each year experience the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., millions more have never had the opportunity.

Now "the wall that heals," a 250-foot-wide, half-scale replica, is traveling to towns and cities across the nation, and will be Civic Center Park Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22.

"The Wall helped us find a home in our hearts for those who served in Vietnam," says Jan Scruggs, memorial founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which organized the tour to over 40 localities. "Now we want to take the souls enshrined on the Memorial back to the places they called home...."

Ceremonies in connection with its visit to Berkeley will include a round-the-clock reading of the 58,202 names of American military personnel who died in Vietnam (including 22 from Berkeley and more than 5,000 Californians) laser-etched on its aluminum panels.

Anyone interested in volunteering for a half-hour slot as a reader, especially during the nighttime hours, may leave a message during non-working hours at 644-6484. Those willing to volunteer construction skills should do the same.