LEWISTON – By sunset on Sunday, fresh soil filled the holes where the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall replica stood over the weekend at the Veterans Memorial Park.

After attracting just under 32,000 people here in Lewiston, the wall is headed to another venue, this time in southern Illinois, Fortin Group representative Mike Martel said.

Today, burial of the memorabilia vault will mark the last of the replica’s ceremonies.

The vault, which is filled with flowers, pins, medals, pictures and other keepsakes left at the wall over the weekend, will be sealed and lowered into a 4-by-8-foot hole at 1 p.m., Martel said.

“We’ve used the term time capsule, but it’s meant to be a dignified way to remember veterans and the wall’s visit,” Martel explained.

The vault will be buried at the apex of where the replica stood this weekend. A monument marking the burial spot of the vault will also be dedicated today, Martel said.

According to Martel, the vault’s burial will be the finale to a weekend that couldn’t have gone any better.

“The entire weekend was just incredible,” Martel said. “We didn’t have a single problem” with crime or mischief.

With the wall open to the public 24 hours a day, volunteers stood guard over the replica around the clock, Martel said.

According to Martel, 150 visitors were counted between the hours of 1 and five a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

Computer terminals were also staffed day and night with volunteers ready to help find names on the wall. In the end, 200 volunteers came together to help with the display of the replica, Martel said.

“We had volunteers from the Naval Air Station, the local Army and the Fortin Group,” Martel said. “But the vast majority of volunteers were local veterans and families of veterans.”

Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

A man who wished to remain anonymous reads names on the Vietnam Veterans Wall replica in Veteran’s Memorial Park in Lewiston at daybreak Sunday morning.

Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

A POW/MIA bracelet bearing the name of CM. SGT. Edward J. Darcy was left at the Vietnam Veterans Wall replica. Darcy of Portland was listed as missing on Dec. 12, 1967. His remains were recovered on Dec. 13, 1993, at the crash site of a C130E “Hercules” in North Vietnam.