The Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Analysis

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.

No war in American history not fought on American soil can claim to have as big an impact on America as a whole than the Vietnam War. The social and political divisions caused by the war changed America as a nation and especially changed those who fought in it. Despite the sacrifices of these veterans, both those who returned and those who did not, Americans on both sides forgot or even vilified those who fought, either as losers or as tokens of an unjust war. To remedy this problem through reconciliation and honor those who died in Vietnam, a group of veterans campaigned to build a national memorial in Washington, D.C. From its original design to the present

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 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.

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

As I recently traveled to Washington D.C. I visited an extremely empowering memorial - the Vietnam Veterans Wall. I walked along the endless panels and the thousands of names, I realized the impact that this war had on our country and that these names are actual people. They are brothers, fathers, sons, uncles, friends. These individuals left their family, their wives, their children. Some gave their lives, and some gave their sanity, but they all suffered for something much bigger. Many Americans fought in the Vietnam War - some against their will, many as young as 18 years of age. They risked their lives fighting for us, for our country and for a difference. Some soldiers returned home, and sadly, some did not. Many of whom arrived in April,

WOOSTER — Friday morning, a group of 24 veterans pulled out of the parking lot of Shreve American Legion in a chartered bus heading to see the war memorials in Washington, D.C.

The Korean War is a very bad thing that happened but this event also brought out new colorful perspective outlooks upon the world. Most people do not know about the Korean War and its results but now that we have the memorial people will surly ask themselves what was the Korean War and look it up. That is exactly what I did. This memorial is an amazing display of what we as people can do after a time off peril. The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in Washington, D.C.'s West Potomac Park, southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and just south of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. It commemorates those who served in the Korean War. There are 4 parts of this memorial The Mural Wall, 19 stainless steel statues, United Nations Wall, and

The Vietnam War was gruesome and it was terrible for the United States. A little after the war ended, there was a contest for the Vietnam memorial in Washington, D.C. Maya Lin was chosen as the designer of the memorial, but John Carhart has some problems with her design. After reading Carhart’s article, he does make some good points about the memorial, but others are not quite right.

Home is not always a good place to be greeted from after coming back from a long, gory, and devastating war. The Veterans of the Vietnam War fought without a choice on the battlefield on Vietnam land. They were forced to hold back their opinions and do what they were told to do, which is to serve the country of America, home to them and many other Americans, in any way possible. Throughout their time in this war, they felt overwhelmed as horrifying events played out in front of them, such as the deaths of fellow soldiers. However, even as they were serving their country to the best of their ability, Vietnam soldiers were treated unfairly when they returned home from war.

To me it seems as if Komunyakaa himself is the main character in the poem, it seems his face is sort of like a reflection in the dark granite that he is facing. Then he goes to state that he wouldn’t cry, but it seems he is very emotional about something. “I’m stone. I’m flesh” (Line 5) maybe saying he feels that he’s strong and manly, but he is feeling weak because he is crying, mentioning he’s flesh because after all he is human and humans have emotions that you sometimes can’t really control. It seems he is very aware of these feelings. It seems his only way out is to turn away from the wall, I think maybe he is trapped somewhere surrounded by these granite walls he seems to be facing and I do not think he can escape them.

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, which stands in Arlington National Cemetery, is among the most famous statues in Washington D.C. Upon the conclusion of World War II, it was erected and dedicated to “the Marine dead of all wars and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside them" (US National Park Services). The statue was based on a photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of six marines raising the flag over Mount Suribachi after an arduous battle with the Japanese. The photo was an instant sensation, and it became known as one of the most iconic and inspirational war photos ever taken. The image of the Marines raising the American flag over Iwo Jima illustrates the depth of America’s commitment to freedom, the ideal in which America’s identity as an exceptional nation is founded.

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.

Many people want to change America, but only a few people accomplish that goal. However, I intend to go beyond just changing America. I intend to change lives.

Art is not only meant to stimulate our eyes and please our sight but it is meant to reflect history. Art can reflect social/political themes and showcase events such as wars or battles. No matter the era, or geographical location, art is made to tell the history of the people. Such storytelling can be found in Maya Lin’s Vietnam Memorial and The Column of Trajan. These two works of art are similar and are also very different. Regardless of these similarities and differences, they both had strong impacts in their time and still do to this very day.