“…and we will meet at the WWII monument in an hour.” The tour guide’s words may as well have been a starter pistol, for our group of twenty Safety Patrols took off like a shot racing each other as they ran along the wide walkway of the Vietnam Memorial. All except for one, which was held firmly in place by my hand on his shoulder. This was my fifth Safety Patrol trip to Washington D.C. with my children and the race was standard procedure for ten-year old’s after a long bus ride from Florida. However, to a parent, everything is a teachable moment whether they fully understand it or not. This was no exception. We sat on the bottom step of the Lincoln Memorial where we were able to see both the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial …show more content…
I don’t mind telling you I was a bit disappointed though I knew the concept of what I had asked might be a little lofty for a 10-year old. As he waited for the group ahead of him to proceed, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the wall and suddenly stopped. “What’s the wall made of?”, he asked. “Black polished granite. It’s supposed to reflect the trees to make it seem peaceful.”, I answered. “Trees?”, he replied, “All I can see is my own reflection. Look at all those names underneath.” Everything changed in that moment. His walk slowed to a crawl as he looked at each panel on the way, his countenance sober as he read the names. We walked in silence until we were close to the end of the west wall. “This one, Mom.”, he said pointing to a name just above his head, “I’m supposed to remember this one. Will you take a picture to help me remember later?” Of course, I did. We continued to walk along the east wall, but Nicholas didn’t increase his pace though he had already chosen a name. I ended up being the one to hurry us along as we were nearing the time limit given by the tour
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Research Paper: The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an ominous depiction of an American squad on patrol alongside a 164 foot mural wall, to show that freedom is not free. The memorial is dedicated to those who served in the Korean War but more importantly those of them who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war. The memorial was created by Frank Gaylord and Louis Nelson. The objective of the memorial is to remind the public of the dedication to the United States of the men and women who served in the Korean War. The memorial was designed to show the trials and tribulations that many of the military personnel faced during the war.
I carry the memories of the ghosts of a place called Vietnam-the people of Vietnam, my fellow soldiers- Tim O’Brien
Although controversial in its inception, Maya Lin's Vietnam War Memorial adequately fulfills the vision of Jan Scruggs, who returned home wounded from the conflict in Southeast Asia at the age of 19, for a monument to his fallen comrades in arms that would "provide a symbol of acknowledgement of the courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty of those who were among the nation's finest youth."1
Robert S. McNamara's book, In Retrospect, tells the story of one man's journey throughout the trials and tribulations of what seems to be the United States utmost fatality; the Vietnam War. McNamara's personal encounters gives an inside perspective never before heard of, and exposes the truth behind the administration.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located on The National Mall in Washington, DC, in West Potomac Park. It was authorized by Congress on October 28, 1986 and construction began in November 1993. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the war by Bill Clinton and Kim Young Sam, President of the Republic of Korea, to the men and women who served during the conflict. The Memorial is managed by the U.S. National Park Serv...
Eventually, the store had to close down. The Anticommunist movement is extreme to the point that anyone who even appeared to be sympathetic to the current government of Vietnam was branded a traitor. For instance, the community claimed that one of the Vietnamese American politicians, Tony Lam, did not support the community in forcing this video store to close down. In addition, Tony Lam took part in requesting the council of the city of Westminster to change the name Little Saigon into Asian town (Collet, & Furuya, 2010). His rationale was that “Little Saigon” negatively reminded of the pain in Vietnamese history, which needed to be forgotten. His political career soon ended, since his attitude and belief was viewed as an offense toward Vietnamese immigrants. Vietnamese immigrants believe that the term Saigon is sacred and beloved, therefore replacing the name Little Saigon is equivalent to neglecting the dramatic historical background and disconnecting their origin. In away, Anticommunist movement creates cohesion among Vietnamese immigrant.
On February 6, 2016, I had the privilege of being a chaperone for Byron Elementary School 5th grade class in Byron, Georgia on a trip to Washington D.C. However, when the students and I began to tour the different memorial sites at in Washington D.C. we came across a lot of sculptures, but the one sculpture that I felt was amazing was the Marine Corps Memorial. The Marine Corps statue was designed in honor of the men and women that served in the Marines during World War II, who gave their lives to protect the United States during the war since 1775 (Marines, 2016). The sculpture is known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, which we visited outside of the Arlington National Cemetery, which is located in the Arlington Ridge Park. The sculpture is adjacent to the Potomac River from Washington D.C.
The vietnam war memorial was constructed for a very noble purpose. The Vietnam war memorial is significant and an historic reminder of how many men were lost and how the vietnam war was a dividing point in american history.
The Vietnam War Memorial has reduced some of the toughest, proudest, and most disciplined in the world to tears. For when a veteran returns to the wall, he may recognize a few members of a platoon that he spent a few of his best years with, and what is left of that man? The other effect of the wall is that if a veteran recognizes a single name, that one name will carry a story, a legacy, and a history with him.
Tragic events occur not only in the United States, but also all over the world. From these tragic events communities, families, and the government decide to place memorials for people that were lost and as a thank you for people protecting the citizens of the country. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, in Washington D.C. is one of these cases. However, what exactly was the purpose of this memorial? The purpose of putting up the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was not only to thank the veterans for their bravery, but to remind future generations about happened during the Vietnam War. Also, the memorial is important to help people and the veterans to accept the fact that the war actually
“You can’t take a 19-year-old brain and subject it to the constant threat of death or injury by rocket fire and expect it not to be affected.” (Roy, 2016, para 1) this quote is a perfect description of how most American Soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War at a young age experienced PTSD. This was caused by automatic, uncontrollable flashbacks on their war experiences and their reception upon returning home. The Things They Carried depicts a combination of documentary novel created by a Vietnam war veteran, Tim O’brien, who has encountered many graphical situations which caused Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
In the movie, Apocalypse Now, based on the Vietnam War, the director portrays the reality of war, a very traumatic place, and leads viewers through the painful reality that left many warriors with everlasting nightmares and disturbing memories. As is most great war-related films, the overarching message is pointed towards viewer understanding of the Vietnam War. The director did this by exemplifying the positives and negatives of the war, so that all viewers can learn from these historical events and prevent similar wars in the future. The director uses many literary elements in Apocalypse Now such as setting, characterization, and theme to further the understanding of the message.
It moved me and challenged me intellectually in many ways and at many levels, to see the movie and beyond. The film captures the richness and contradictions of that experience. Everyone should see it, reflect on it and all its dimensions. There is much to write (and much has already been written), in another context, about the movement of those years in general, such as their strengths and weaknesses, how participants saw what confronted and what they considered would solve the situation, why and how the system of segregation emerged after the Civil War and its relationship to the development of capitalism-imperialism. It should go into many of these issues. But now, at a time when the movement for revolution and the party as its leading core,
Contending versions of the Vietnam War and the antiwar movement began to develop even before the war ended. The hawks' version, then and now, holds that the war was winnable, but the press, micromanaging civilian game theorists in the Pentagon, and antiwar hippies lost it. . . . The doves' version, contrarily, remains that the war was unwise and unwinnable no matter what strategy was employed or how much firepower was used. . . Both of these versions of the war and the antiwar movement as they have come down to us are better termed myths than versions of history because they function less as explanations of reality than as new justifications of old positions and the emotional investments that attended them (Garfinkle, 7).
The 1970’s in America weren’t a time of peace for youth. The Vietnam War was still in full effect until 1975 leaving teenagers approaching 18 with the constant fear of being drafted. Post-Vietnam War was no better for American youth. Heroism and respect for the troops fell greatly due to the disastrous failing of the Vietnam War. One man spoke of his childhood du...