A representative for the Pentagon, whom the veterans thought would offer strong support for the memorial, essentially said, “Why should we build a memorial to losers?” (Scruggs 30). Some politicians and others agreed, calling the veterans “crybabies who should receive less from the government” (Scruggs 31). Many Americans, however, especially veterans and those who had lost loved ones in the war, strongly supported the memorial. Tens of thousands of letters thanking the Fund and offering support accompanied widely varying donations to the memorial, such as one that said, “The whole town turned out for the funeral for he was the only boy who died there from this small town - but there it ended. There is no recognition of his death anywhere so far as the town he grew up in is concerned.” (Scruggs 26). Some that supported the Memorial were even a part of those who had condemned the war - “I opposed the war. I marched (and prayed) for peace. I counseled C.O.s. But I will never, never forget what so many gave of what they had for what they believed. And many of these, tragically, were the best we had.” (Scruggs 27). To those at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund receiving the letters, both supporting and condemning, they showed equal amounts of the pain that ran deeply through America, and they began to work harder at their attempt to heal this
The Vietnam War is widely regarded as the lowest point in the history of U.S. foreign affairs. It mercilessly dragged an unwilling country on a fatal ride for twenty years, all while receiving low approval ratings and high funding. The Vietnam conflict served as an optimum environment for the virus of controversy. No one has more experience with controversy than Heinz Alfred Kissinger. He is the ultimate pragmatist, as embodying his philosophy of realpolitik, a diplomatic ideology based on utilitarianism rather than international ethical standards. When one’s political calling card downplays the role of ethics in diplomacy, that individual is bound to garner a high profile reputation. Kissinger himself has lamented the national predicament during this conflict—squeezed between the ultimate rock, his duty to keep peace, and hard place, his duty to act with the approval of the American people. This predicament was rooted in an omnipresent opposition to Communism, as was America’s role in the entire Cold War. Cold War politics were politics of fear. That fear drove competition, which bred a certain variety of leader – a logical, calculating politician with regard for nothing but his country’s success. To avoid an uncontrollable spread of Communism through the westernized world, some moral casualties were strewn about the wayside. However, the American public had no trouble rolling up their collective sleeves to back this forward-thinking activist. In more recent years, some
The Vietnam Veteran Memorial, a commemoration of the deceased 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. The memorial also has the names of the veterans in chronological order from 1959 to 1975. It is made from granite with a polished surface to reflect the visitors' face that will link visitors to the dead one together.
Many Americans believed that the war ravaged country of Vietnam, had to be resurrected from grave. Beginning in 1964 and growing in later years, anti-war protests began forming. Outrage from civilians erupted when President Johnson issued the draft, as he felt the Americans needed to take a more aggressive action against North Vietnam. Young men refused to join the fight and protests emitted from college campuses and major cities such as Washington D.C. and New York. ((n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.texasgateway.org) and ((n.d.). Retrieved from http://avuth15.wix.com/thecoldwar are both primary sources illustrating anti-war protests, showing the outrage that America had towards the war. By 1968, the whole country had felt the war's impact. When the war finally ceased and the troops returned home, the protests, the actions by the government and the war itself, had taken a toll on the country. America's opinions were sharply turned against the war. The veterans who fought bravely in the war, returned to a nation that was bitter towards anything related to the war. Today, a Vietnam War memorial has been erected in Washington, to honor those who sacrificed their life for their country. As shown in ((n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.english.illinois.edu), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to honor the U.S defence members who died in service in South-East Asia. As a result, the social
The artist of the memorial, Maya Lin, is an American of Asian descent who is famous for her sculptures and land art. Her most famous work, the Vietnam Memorial, was chosen in a contest, and her designs both mesmerized and angered many people. Since them, works and designs she has created for competitions have been mainly memorials and remembrances based on historical events. Her works are intended to use the natural texture and geology of the space around the monument to its advantage in its creation.
The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was one of the longest wars with US combat force participation. It lasted from November 1, 1955, to April 30, 1975. The war was between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with the U.S. as its ally. Three million people were killed in the war, 58,000 of them being American. One reason we should memorialize this event is because we should educate the future generations about what this war was about and why it happened so that they can know what happened in their past. We also do not want this event to be forgotten, so we create museums and memorials to keep the memory of these soldiers alive. Many people had discussions about if this war should have even happened or not. The Vietnam War was controversial because since it was a civil war, many people thought that the U.S. didn’t have any part in it and shouldn’t be involved in their countries’ problems. We should create a memorial for the Vietnam War because of the how many people lost their lives and also how much controversy arose because of this war.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is made of Black Granite. The design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a contest. Within the contest different U.S citizen submitted design ideas for the memorial and 8 different artists judges the entries in order to pick the best one. The wall was created by Maya Ying Lin. The wall is not extremely tall but rather is longer than most normal monuments. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall invites those visiting it to come closer and in contact with it. This is due to the fact that the print on the wall is small and visitors can also do a rubbing or tracing of the different names on the wall. The Vietnam Memorial Wall was an intentional monument since it was planned out and designed with a purpose of commemorating
John Carhart said, “The jurors know nothing of the real war in Vietnam - the television portrayal was far from adequate. The net result is that the design the jury chose as the winner was necessarily a function of their perception of the war they lived through in America” (Source E). There were really two wars going on at this point. The first one was a military war fought in Vietnam and the other was a political war going on here at home (Source E). When the civilians who voted for the memorial, they only knew and experienced the political war. If veterans would have chosen the design, it would not be this one. People who lived through the war, like John Carhart, should have chosen what the design would
SPRINGFIELD — Shirley Flores’ eyes filled with tears Friday as she read the name of her brother on a newly unveiled Vietnam War veteran’s memorial in Springfield.
What is a memorial ? The definition of memorial is - “something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event.” My views on memorials is simple and straightforward. They are amazing and needed.
Of the many memorials in Washington D.C the most important of all of these is the Vietnam War Memorial because of its historical and emotional impact on all who see it. One reason is that it memorializes one of the worst wars in American history and, it honors all the soldiers that gave their lives to fight for this fair country. Another reason is because its emotional aspect. “You see that wall, and you see how many people you know on that wall. It humbles you,” said Robert Wayne Griffin, Vietnam War Veteran. Overall, these are a few ways the Vietnam War Memorial is important, but along with the historical and emotional aspects but also how the wall was made.
Cellular telephones, Pepsi Max, and Pacemakers- all of these were invented in Jerald Brenhofer’s lifetime1. From the invention of cellphones that allowed him to talk with his expanding family as it spread beyond his physical reach to Boston and Chicago, to his favorite soda, Brenhofer lived a rich life, full of his favorite things and people. Born in 1942, in the throes of World War II and the lingering aftershocks of the Great Depression, the movement of social and technological change that Brenhofer experienced was more than a quantitative list of advancements and historical events, but the melding of the two into a continual and formative span of life.
In the history of the United States, few years could be viewed as being more important than 1968. While there were years in American history of great significance, 1968 has the distinction of being a year in which civil unrest, social progress, and the state of change were the norm, and featured events that affected not only America, but the world as a whole. With the condition of America at the time, society was going through changes that would go on to have massive impact on how the world would progress, with some of these events having effects years afterwards.
The remembrances of the Vietnam War are often thought upon with mixed emoptions. While there are those who praise the “bravest of men in our country” (Keith 38), some are stirred by the memorial, which happens to also be the most frequently toured site in the capital of the united states. It is covered with the names of over 50,000 men and women who served and died in the war of vietnam, it is regarded as a “shrine to the dead” (Taylor 24) reminder of the loss of too many young Americans, and of what the war did to the United States and its messianic belief in its own overweening virtue.
The Vietnam War was a war that included the United States involvement. The United States fought in this war to stop communism. After almost 20 years, the war ended and the result was Vietnam was split into two parts, North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was communist and South Vietnam was non-communist. Though this war ended, the American people who fought in this war were never forgotten. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built in Washington D.C in 1982, to always remember the people who fought in the Vietnam War for the United States. This wall has approximately 58,000 names on it of those who died fighting in the war. One person who fought in the War was James Avery. Although his name is not on the wall because he died in 2013