Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a uniquely moving memorial to the men and women who served in the conflict in Southeast Asia. It opened to the public in 1982, following the design of Yale architecture student Maya Lin, who was just 21 at the time. Tasked with creating a design that would not politicize the memory of the people who served in highly controversial Vietnam War, Lin created two long walls of reflective polished black granite, inscribed with the names of the dead and missing from the war, partially sunk into the park grounds in a shallow V configuration. The memorial’s simple design itself was controversial at first, but its calm and reflective atmosphere has made it one of the most visited and appreciated memorials in Washington, D.C. In 1984, the bronze statue The Three Servicemen was added to the memorial park to depict soldiers from the war, and in 1993 the Vietnam Women’s Memorial sculpture was added to represent the service of women, who mostly served as nurses. Both statues are set aside from the famed Wall, harmonizing with the overall design at a quiet and respectful distance from the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
- Pay respect to the dead and missing from the Vietnam War
- Look up the locations of specific names in the directory of the Wall
- Make a pencil rubbing of the name of a loved one, or leave behind a small gift in the memory of those who served
For more information, visit the official websites at
www.nps.gov and
www.vvmf.org.
