The Vietnam War was the most divisive conflict in American history. And for a time this powerful monument to those who fell in it was controversial too. The simple, paired black walls that run for 75 metres, along each side, have been likened to an open book or a wing. Though some called it a “black gash of shame” when it opened. That controversy has faded now, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has come to be seen as symbol of healing for the wound left by Vietnam. For most Americans, it is now the 'Wall that Heals'.
The Wall lies close to Lincoln Memorial, at the western end of the National Mall, in a piece of the parkland dedicated to Vietnam veterans. The two walls are made from 70 black granite panels, engraved with the names of the 58,272 men and women who died in a conflict in which American soldiers fought from 1956 to 1975. The panels are deeply reflective, and the visitor's image appears mingled with the names of the dead – an intentional aspect of the design, symbolising the bringing of past and present together, in order to remember.
The design was chosen in 1982 in a competition that left each of the 1,421 entrants only with a number. The judging team selected number 1026, submitted by 21-year old Chinese-American, Maya Lin. It was chosen for its stark simplicity, and the way in which it avoided commenting on the war's controversy: it simply listed the personal cost of the conflict.
As well as the Wall, there is another memorial in the shape of three bronze figures of American service-men, dressed for combat, but apparently gazing on the names of their dead comrades written on the Wall. Called the Three Soldiers, it was sculpted by Frederick Hart, and was placed here in part to satisfy those who wanted a more traditional memorial. Those conflicting passions have faded now, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited places in the US capital. Some touch the name of a loved one, some have abandoned medals here, some leave flowers. Most just stop, gaze and ponder the personal tragedies of war.
