Vietnam War Memorial Research Paper

On May 1, 1981 a jury declared Maya Ying Lin of Athens, Ohio as the winning memorial design. The memorial’s walls point to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. 58,267 names are inscribed in chronological order of the date of casualty. I believe this depicts the war as a series of human sacrifices and therefore they shall receive a special place in history. Each name is preceded on the west wall or on the east wall by one of two symbols: a diamond or a cross. The diamond denotes that the individual has been declared deceased. The 780 persons whose names are designated by a cross were either missing or prisoners at the end of the war and remains missing and unaccounted for. If a person returns alive, a circle, as a symbol of life, is inscribed over the cross. In the event an individual’s remains are returned or are otherwise accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. Knowing this, I remain hopeful that some soldiers will return home alive. Walking beside the wall and seeing the names inscribed allowed me to feel great pride in my country as these soldiers gave up their life fighting for the people of America. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial will properly commemorate each soldier for the rest of

As time passed veterans gained the respect they deserved after fighting in the war. Veterans from the Vietnam war come to see the names of the people they fought alongside, students to respect the people who died for the country, and families to mourn the loss of their loved ones. The memorial was made to represent the people who sacrificed their lives trying to protect our nation. Countless veterans were treated with disrespect and disgust for all the trauma they had suffered, but now are treated how they should

In order for a monument to get a greater value of importance the placement of the monument is crucial. The placement of a monument is not only important because of how populated a place is but also the relation between the place and the monument. Even the smallest consideration to detail can make a difference in the awe a monument inspires. For example, Source G states “The vietnam veterans

America has made an obsession out of remembering past events by making monuments, like the Lincoln Monument. These type monuments can be used to teach anyone what their country has been through. This is a method that has been in use since long before America was founded, but America is not immune to the influence of Memorials. America uses memorials to commemorate fallen soldiers, influential leaders, founders of peace, and some of the nations most devastating moments, like 9-11. Some of the most important, and well known memorials in the world can be found in America, such as the Washington monument, Lincoln monument and many others.

As you travel and visit a tourist location such as Washington D.C. , you see monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Memorial. If you ever wonder the purpose of that monument could be or making and placing history as a view for everyone could see. A memorial can consider, though region, material, how large, and the significance of the stone can mean honor achievement for those who sacrificed the wars.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is in D.C., and hundreds of people visit it each day. It stands as a symbol of what Americans did in the Vietnam War, and how many we actually helped. The Vietnam War was a brutal war were many of the soldiers were wounded or killed, and those who died fighting for our country will always be remembered because of the Vietnam Veterans War memorial. The Vietnam Veterans War memorial is a lasting tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives while fighting in the Vietnam War.

The next pieces of art were made with commemorative intentions, so that we not only fail to forget our history for better or for worst, but also to give thanks to those who have sacrificed themselves in the name of what they were fighting for. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial constructed in 1980-1982 and made out of Black granite, was designed by a student name Maya Lin. This controversial wall Bears the names of 60,000 American servicemen and women who died or are missing from the time of the war. These names were cleverly engraved down chronological order by year of death/missing. The memorial has influenced many other public memorials, despite the fact many were against it in the beginning. Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West depicts the military battle of 1759 in which the British Army defeated the French in a struggle for control of the Canadian portion of North America. The general, James Wolfe died on the battlefield just as his troop’s secured victory. His death represented the idea of patriotic self-sacrifice. This painting was also a controversial piece because of the wardrobe choice the artist decided to depict the “heroes” in. What really strikes me those most in this painting is the background. There is a billowing of smoke that seems to encompass almost half of the canvas, however the light from the midday sun looks as if it is starting to shine through. This could represent the victory of the battle or the Gods coming to lay General Wolfe to rest. You can also see that all the men surrounding General Wolfe are turned his way or even blatantly pointing. This draws the viewer to Wolfe’s fallen form even despite the fact that there is so much more surrounding him. Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware honors George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. This act was the first move in a surprise attack against the Hessian forces

Standing next to the Vietnam Wall was breathtaking. You take a step back and you can almost envision the lives lost, and that’s what I wanted.

"It is a V formed by two black granite walls that diminish in height as they extend outward, making the monument appear to descend into the earth. Chiseled into the walls are the names of the 57,930 men and 9 women who died or are listed as missing in the Vietnam War" (Foss). The creation itself, was symbolic for the argument presented by a faction during the late 1960's and 1980's arguing against the motifs that the U.S. had to engage in the Vietnam War. For a majority, involvement in the Vietnam War represented tyranny, because we had no right to fight a battle that pertains to South Vietnam. Second, if South Vietnam wanted to remain a democratic nation, then they should have fought directly against communism, instead of depending on U.S

But I never go to why they are important so let me tell you. To me memorials are important because

5) The main problem is there is lack of American Symbols like flag, red& white colors, and flowers. The memorial only focuses on people who died but I think this should be the purpose of a memorial not patriotism or nationalistic ideas. (Check: http://www.usvetdsp.com/maya_lin_wall.htm)

Memorials to the nation such as the national cathedral symbolize many things to us that’s why memorials have importance to us they symbolize something major to us such as a battle or religion. If we did not have these memorials we wouldn't remember these events that took place and would forget them as if they were nothing so we create memorials to remind us each day of a certain day or event that took place such as ww2 vietnam or korean war.

Of course, the memorial is that important! The World War II Memorial is important because it was built to honor the 16 million people who served in the war. Then after the war was over, the country was safe all thanks to who served.

The veterans who fought in the Vietnam war are nothing but brave souls, and do deserve as much recognition as possible for their part in the war. There has been many mixed emotions about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. While still managing to be appropriate, it is a unique monument that does a very well job in honoring those who had fought in the Vietnam war. The idea of the memorial was chosen in a competition and the winner of that competition was 21 year-old Maya Ying Lin. Surprisingly, being so young, her design ended up winning first place in that competition. According to the New York Times style page of June 29, 1981 it says, “The Lin design has been highly praised.” However, some question the monument because it was

Providing the right sense of commemorating, the material used to create the monument should be taken into consideration. After considering the location and size of the monument, the material should fit the memory or emotion the monument emits. When Maya Lin created the monument for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C, the material was the most important to her. I chose black granite in order to make the surface reflective and peaceful” (Source G). Creating the feeling of sorrow, her choice of material helped to create the remembrance of the bravery of those who served for their country.