The reality of that cost was all too apparent for Sgt. Brian Hinckley of Wilton, who served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967.

“It means a lot. We’ll put it that way,” Hinckley said quietly. “I miss a lot of my old buddies. I lost contact with most of them — some are probably gone.”

The memorial, along with a 53-foot mobile education center providing visitors with exhibits about the war, the era and many whose names are etched into the panels, had its opening ceremony on the fields outside Narrow Gauge Cinema. It will remain open 24 hours a day through Sunday afternoon.

The opening ceremony featured remarks from retired Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee and founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, followed by a Black Hawk helicopter flyover.

“I give so much credit to the Vietnam-era veterans,” Mills told the crowd. “They had the same kind of war my generation had — an enemy that blended in, no clear line to victory — and yet they came home to a country that wasn’t ready to welcome them. I stand here today because those veterans showed me and others like me that life goes on. They gave us hope when we needed it most.”

Organizers said the memorial’s arrival in Farmington was made possible through about a year of planning by American Legion District 4 with support from the University of Maine at Farmington and around 300 volunteers. Volunteers managed everything from shuttles and parking to staffing the wall and assisting visitors through the day and night.

Eventgoers began arriving early Thursday afternoon, some pausing at the apex of the wall where the names of service members are located.

Hinckley, the Vietnam veteran, said this was the fourth time he’s visited the traveling memorial.

“Coming here reminds me of the crew I ran over there,” he said. “I had about 20 guys, and I was the oldest. They all looked up to me.”

Hinckley recounted his return stateside from Vietnam with one other soldier. The two arrived in Boston on the same flight, only to encounter hostility at the airport.

“They lost our luggage, and they gave us a hard time,” he recalled. “Finally, I had to say, ‘Can you stop treating us like this?’ It was a rough time when we got out, but I realized later I couldn’t just keep to myself. You’ve got to get out and connect with people.”

The schedule for the weekend includes a Quilt of Valor presentation at noon on Friday and a post-traumatic stress disorder awareness ceremony at night. A closing ceremony is planned for Sunday at 1:45 p.m. just before the memorial departs at 2 p.m.

The Wall That Heals is a program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the original wall on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 1982. Since its debut in 1996, the traveling replica has visited over 700 communities across the nation.

“This isn’t about me,” Mills said as he closed his remarks. “It’s about the veterans who didn’t get the homecoming they deserved. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say: Welcome home. Welcome home.”