Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Its two arms point to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial, reaching a height of 10 feet 3 inches where the arms meet at the center.
"...this memorial is for those who have died, and for us to remember them. ...these names, seemingly infinite in number, convey the sense of overwhelming numbers, while unifying these individuals into a whole."
Maya Ying Lin, designer, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC consists of three distinct sections:
- The Wall, black granite panels containing the names of the 58,241 men and 8 women who were killed in Vietnam, dedicated 13 November 1982
- The Three Service Men statue and flagpole, dedicated 11 November 1984
- Vietnam Women's Memorial statue, dedicated 11 November 1993
The first death recorded on The Wall was in 1956, the last 1975.
Three Service Men statue, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 9 November 2005
Vietnam Women's Memorial statue, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 11 November 2000.
Every day offerings are left at the wall. Flags, letters, medals, personal military gear -- left as a connection to someone lost. At the end of the day, Park Rangers gather these items and send them to the National Park Service Museum Resource Center in Lanham MD, where the items are carefully organized and preserved. Some of the items are displayed at the American History museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Photo: 11 November 2003.
Recommended Books about the Vietnam Memorial: The Wall
