VIDALIA — A year after a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall visited the Vidalia Riverfront, local groups are still working to make it a permanent fixture along the Mississippi River.

Outpost leader for Point Man International Ministries Douglas McCallister said the 80-percent scale replica of the Washington, D.C., monument would cost approximately $300,000. Of that, McCallister said more than $20,000 had been raised, coming for more than 40 people.

“The importance of it is the hundreds of thousands of people living all across the Southeast who will have an opportunity to go to the memorial and pay their respects to a family member or loved one,” he said. “There are many people who will never have an opportunity to see the one in Washington, D.C.”

Point Man Ministries entered into a memorandum of understanding recently with Vidalia in which the city would take ownership of the monument once it is built.

“Point Man Ministries only has one goal, and that is to see this 80-percent scale replica wall is built,” McCallister said. “Once it is complete and the funding is done, it will become the property of the City of Vidalia to be operated by whatever committee or delegation is appointed by the city.”

McCallister said Vidalia has an area of exclusivity where no similar wall can be built within 150 miles.

The original target date for completion was Veterans Day of this year, but McCallister said it could take longer.

“We are cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We’ll endeavor to meet that date. A lot can happen in a short period of time.”

Mayor-elect Buz Craft said he has not been caught up on the financing part of the wall, but he said he supports projects honoring veterans.

“I would want to be a partner in any way possible to move it forward,” Craft said. “I will look closer at the cost, but we would certainly be proud to honor our veterans.”

McCallister said the wall was popular when it was temporarily on the riverfront a year ago, located on the Riverwalk just before the RV Park.

“Sometimes there were three people there, sometimes it was more like 18,” he said. “It was a constant flow of people and a lot of groups, veteran’s groups, made special trips.

“It’s located at a very tranquil place there. Typically the most significant noise is a tugboat going up the river.”

McCallister said there is a large group of veterans in the Miss-Lou and in the nearby counties and parishes who fought in the war. The people not directly involved in the military are also particularly patriotic, he said.

“There are a lot of local names that are there of men who made the supreme sacrifice,” McCallister said. “If you ever go there late at night and see one guy walk up and put his hand on the wall where his buddy’s name is, or you see a mother take an etching of the wall, the importance of the wall speaks for itself.

“A lot of healing goes on at places like this.”

McCallister said for more information, or if you wanted to donate, to contact him at 601-431-2096 or by email at diamondmdoug@aol.com.