My Visit to The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. is an unforgettable sight. Even though I don't know anyone who is listed on The Wall, as it's more commonly called, I was still deeply touched. I can't imagine how people who do have loved ones on The Wall feel.

At the base of The Wall friends and loved ones leave flags, wreaths, letters, birthday cards, and other mementos to honor those who died in the Vietnam War. Each night the park rangers gather up all these mementos and put them in a storage shed in nearby Maryland. Some of the things are on display at the nearby Smithsonian Museum.

Built in 1982 The Wall, located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, is made of black granite and is 493 feet long and 10 feet tall at its highest point.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, started by Jan Scrugs, raised over four million dollars necessary to build the memorial. Mr. Scrugs, a Vietnam veteran, thought it was important to have some kind of memorial to remember those who died in Vietnam.

A contest was held to select a design for the memorial. The design selected as the winner had been submitted by Maya Ying Lin, a student at Yale University. Her design called for two walls shaped like a triangle to meet to form a "V" with names of the killed soldiers to be carved in the wall.

Names are listed by date of death or when they went missing in action. A diamond after the name means they were killed, a cross means that the soldier is missing in action. If the soldier is found alive a circle is engraved around the cross, if his body is found a diamond is carved over the cross.

Veterans who have died after the war from injuries that occurred during the war are also listed on The Wall.

At the memorial there are books available to aid visitors in finding a certain name. The names in the book are in alphabetical order and next to the name is the wall panel and line number where that particular name can be found.

Many visitors make rubbings of names on The Wall. It's easy to do. Place a piece of paper over the name and rub a pencil or crayon over the name. The name will appear on the paper.

In 1984 a statue called The Three Servicemen was put up close to The Wall. It depicts three soldiers walking out of the jungle. There are five seals on the base of the statue, one for each branch of the armed services: Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. There is a flag by the statue that flies twenty-four hours a day.

In 1993 a third section was added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This one to honor the eight nurses killed during the Vietnam War. It is an eight foot bronze statue of nurses helping soldiers. Close by eight trees were planted, one for each one of the nurses killed. Their names are also carved into The Wall.

The Wall is truly a site everyone should see at some point in their life. But if you can't make it to Washington D.C. it's still possible to view it. In 1996 a model was built of The Wall. While the model isn't as large as the actual Wall, it is equally impressive. This model travels all over the United States. It's call The Traveling Wall or The Wall That Heals. And it may be coming to a town or city near you, so be sure to visit it.