More than 58,000 men and women made the ultimate sacrifice during the long and complicated Vietnam War. Then, instead of receiving a hero’s welcome upon their return, those who survived were often shunned and blamed for the unpopular war. In the late 1970s, a veteran named Jan Scruggs, who had been wounded in the war, set out to build a memorial for his fallen comrades in hopes that it would bring healing and closure to those who had lost loved ones in the war and also to our wounded and divided country.

Like the war itself, the Memorial was initially controversial, but Scruggs, who started the Vietnam Memorial Fund with $2,800 of his own money, worked tirelessly to obtain funding and support. Eventually, he convinced Congress to grant the Memorial a site on the Washington Mall.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial  cost $8.4 million, all of which was donated, and was was opened to the public on November 13, 1982.

Experiencing The Wall

When Maya Lin’s black granite wall design won the national Memorial design contest, many objected to it, fearing that the finished product would appear like a “black gash of shame” on the Washington Mall. However, when the Memorial opened and people began experiencing it, they discovered its healing power. Currently, 58,245 names of service members killed and missing in action are inscribed on it.

About The Wall

The awesome size and scope of The Wall coupled with the thousands of names carved into it  make a visit a very emotional experience. The Wall consists of 70 shiny black granite panels and is actually two walls, 246 feet 8 inches each, which meet at a 125 degree vertex. The walls point to the northeast corners of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The walls are slightly more thna ten feet high at the vertex and taper almost to ground level at the ends.

The names are listed in chronological order starting at the top of the vertex on the east wall under the date 1959, the year of the first casualties. The names continue down that panel, then onto the top of the next panel to the east and so on to the small end of the east wall. Then the names continue, starting at the lowest part of the west panel and moving back toward the vertex, finishing with the date 1975, the year of the last casualties.

Visitors to The Wall will find the surroundings of The Wall to be peaceful and surreal. The Wall seems to almost rise out the earth. While there are often large crowds at The Memorial, it is a quiet place where an air of reflection and reverence is felt by visitors. People speak in slightly hushed tones, but all seem to have a look of amazement about them as they wonder about the grounds.

The Names

Because the names are not in alphabetic order, locating the name of a loved one is a challenge. There are official directories located in a various places around The Memorial where visitors can look up the name of their loved one and find the panel and line number where it is located. Or, there are wonderful volunteers who carry hand-held computerized directories who are happy to look up names and then help visitors locate the name on The Wall. They also provide paper to the visitors so that they can take a rubbing of the name home with them. These volunteers are incredible people, many of whom are veterans of the war themselves. Over and over they witness the raw emotions of visitors discovering names for the first time. They hold hands and offer shoulders to weep upon.

Offerings

What nobody had anticipated about the way people would experience The Wall, is the offerings left by the visitors. Immediately after opening, people began leaving offerings of all sorts at The Wall. Some leave flowers or flags, but also various military objects such as medals, jackets, and boots. Letters, jewelry, stuffed animals, pictures and many other items have been left in remembrance to those whose names grace The Wall. In 1984, the National Park Service began collecting the offerings every night and cataloging and storing them in the Museum Resource Center in Maryland. More than 64,000 offerings have been collected thus far.

Additional Memorial Elements

Since the opening of The Memorial, additional elements have been added to the area. In 1984, the Three Service Men Statue and a flag pole which flies the American Flag twenty-four hours a day was dedicated. In 1993 the Women’s Memorial, which pays homage to the female nurses who served and died for their country during the War, was also dedicated. In 2004 the In Memory Plaque was placed at the grounds to honor and remember those who died as a result of their service in the War, but because of technicalities, their names do not appear on The Wall. In 2003, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center was approved. When complete, the underground informational center will help educate the Memorial’s 4.4 million annual visitors about the history of the Vietnam War and The Wall.

Ceremonies

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial hosts several annual ceremonies at The Wall. Visitors may want to plan their visits to coincide with these events. On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the Memorial hosts famous Americans, who make speeches or sing or play music in honor of all veterans who served in the Armed Forces.

On Mothers’ Day, the mothers who sent their children into battle and waited for their return, which for many did not happen, are honored. Teachers and students are asked to make Mother’s Day cards which are read by many of the mothers in attendance at the ceremony and then are left as offerings at the wall.

On Father’s day, volunteers help sons and daughters of those whose names are on The Wall, affix 1,000 long-stemmed red and yellow roses with attached messages sent from all over the country in front of The Wall. The red ones symbolize those killed in action and the yellow signify those still missing. Each message is read aloud and the rose is touched to the name on The Wall which it is honoring.

In Memory Day, celebrated on the third Monday in April, is part of the In Memory Program which seeks to recognize and commemorate the struggles and hardships all service members and their loved ones experience as a result of service in the American Armed Services, especially during time of war.

During the winter holidays, a Holiday Tree is set up at the vertex of The Wall and is decorated with holiday greetings sent to the Memorial every holiday season.

A visit to The Wall is an unforgettable experience for any American, but because the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund organizers know that it is not feasible for everyone to make the trip to Washington DC, they have devised two alternate ways to experience The Wall, close to home.

The Wall That Heals

Since 1996, the traveling half-scale replica of The Wall, known as “The Wall That Heals,” has been to 250 different American cities and has been seen by thousands who may not otherwise have been able to experience The Wall. While the traveling wall is smaller, it is no less moving.  The same 58,245 names are listed on its surface. For some, however, the smaller dimensions also seem to make it slightly easier to face, especially when it’s on home turf. With the replica of The Wall comes a traveling museum and information center.

Any community organization can apply to sponsor the traveling memorial in their area. Typically, the organizers prefer to schedule their visits on Thursdays through Sundays to allow for two school days so that local students can visit and two weekend days so that the general public has a chance to visit during non-working hours. Interested organizations can obtain an application from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website listed at the end of this article.

The Virtual Wall

Modern technology has even enabled people to experience The Wall online in the privacy of their own homes. The Virtual Wall was launched in 1998 and it includes all of the names that are inscribed in the actual Wall. Visitors can search for people they knew by name, or state, or city of record. When the name is located electronically, visitors can view the name on the Virtual Wall, where names appear in exactly the same spot as on the actual Wall. Also, on the Virtual Wall, visitors can view the person’s profile, which gives basic information about them such as birth and death date, location of casualty, military branch, rank, etc. Visitors can even print a rubbing of a name from the electronic Wall.

The most exciting part about visiting the Virtual Wall is being able to post remembrances. Anyone can post an electronic remembrance to a name on The Wall. The remembrances can be in text or audio form and can even include pictures. In 2001, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, in partnership with Kinko’s, set out to start collecting and posting photos of the 58,245 men and women on The Wall. To date more than 50,000 photos and remembrances have been posted to the website. Posting a remembrance is free and can be done via the Internet or they can be sent by traditional mail to the Memorial Fund to post.

Whether or not you knew someone who served in Vietnam or died in Vietnam, a visit to The Wall is an experience you will never forget. It is painful and beautiful at the same time. We, as Americans, have a duty and a responsibility to honor and remember those who served for us. Find a way to visit The Wall in Washington, or in your community or online. You will be different because you did.

External Links:

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund -