The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

(By: Aubrey and Jackson Schultz)

Address:   Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street NW

Hours:   Open 24 hours

Cost:   Free

Contact Number:   202-426-6841

Website:   www.npsgov/vive

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial consists of a wall and two statues.
. 

The Wall
The main part of the memorial, known simply as The Wall, honors all service members of the U.S armed forces who died in the Vietnam War and all service members who were unaccounted for (missing in action) during the war.
.
The Wall is in a triangular shape at a 125 degree angle. It is made of black granite and it is 492 feet long. Both sides of The Wall start at 8 inches tall, and it is 10 feet tall at its highest point. There are 58,261 names (only 8 of which are women) carved into the black granite. They are listed in chronological order of when they died. Next to each name there is either a diamond indicating that the person died, a cross indicating that the person was a POW/MIA (prisoner of war/missing in action), and if the POW returns home alive, his cross will be circled. Sadly, there are no circled crosses on the wall yet. The Wall is very reflective and people often leave flowers, flags, tokens, and other personal items to honor those who died.

Construction on The Wall started on March 16, 1982; and it was completed in late October and dedicated on November 23, 1982. Yale architecture Maya Ying Lin designed the Vietnam Wall. Her unique design won a contest when she was 22 years old. Many people were disturrbed that a Vietnamese woman designed The Wall, and there was a lot of controversy over it.

.

.

The Three Soldiers

Nearby is another Vietnam memorial, a bronze statue named The Three Soldiers. The statue was unveiled in 1984 and purposely portrays a White American, an African American, and a Hispanic American soldier. The statue and the Wall are made to look like they are interacting with each other, with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their dead comrades.

.
The Vietnam Womens Memorial
Also part of the memorial is the Vietnam Women's memorial. It was designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated on November 11, 1993, to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. The woman looking up is named Hope, the woman praying is named Faith, and the woman tending to a wounded soldier is named Charity.
.

.

In Memory memorial plaque
A memorial plaque was dedicated on November 10, 2004. It's purpose is to honor veterans who died after the war as a direct result of injuries suffered in Vietnam. The plaque is a carved block of black granite, 3 feet by 2 feet, inscribed "In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice."
.

Today, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the most visited war memorial in Washington D.C, with about 2.4 million people visiting it each year.