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.