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Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed by Maya Lin, a 21-year-old from Athens, Ohio. It was unveiled with an opening ceremony in 1982 in Washington, D.C. The memorial is dedicated to the men and women in the U.S. military who served in the war zone of Vietnam. The names of the 58,000 Americans who gave their lives and service to their country are etched chronologically in gabbro stone and listed on the two walls which make up the memorial monument. Those who died in action are denoted by a diamond, those who were missing (MIAs, POWs, and others) are denoted with a cross. When the death of one, who was previously missing is confirmed, a diamond is superimposed over a cross. The wall consists of two sections, one side points to the Lincoln Memorial and the other to the Washington Monument. There is a pathway along the base for visitors to walk and reflect, or view the names of their loved ones. When visiting the memorial many take a piece of paper, and using a crayon or soft pencil make a memento of their loved one. This is known as “rubbing.” The shiny wall was designed to reflect a visitor’s face while reading the names of the military personnel who lost their lives. The idea is that symbolically the past and present are represented. The memorial was paid for by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. who raised nearly $9,000,000 to complete it. The memorial site also includes The Three Servicemen statue built in 1984. The statue depicts three soldiers, purposefully identifiable as European American, African American, and Hispanic American. The statue faces the wall with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their fallen comrades.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial can be found to the north of the Lincoln Memorial near the intersection of 22nd St. and Constitution Ave. NW. The memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and receives approximately 5 million visitors each year. It is open 24 hours a day and is free to all visitors.

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