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Maya Lin stated that “I felt a memorial should be honest about the reality of war, and be for the people who gave their lives.” Maya Lin, an undergraduate architect, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the support of veterans who fought in Vietnam. The 58,000 names on the memorial represent who served in the Vietnam War. The 21 year old girl’s design caused many controversies towards the memorial. The memorial had a significant impact on Americans that changed some of their views about the veterans who sacrificed their lives. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a significant event in America because it stood as a symbol of recognition and healing for those who fought in the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built as a tribute to the dead who fought in the unpopular war. The Vietnam War was a long conflict that opposed the communist governor of North Vietnam. In a larger conflict, the war took place in 1955 to 1975, between the United States and the Soviet Union. By 1969, America sent their troops to Vietnam however the U.S. combat units retreated by 1973. During the war more than three million people were killed, including 58,000 Americans. The suffering and loss left America divided, that cannot be changed. The Vietnam War was a war that people were …show more content…
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial took place as a way of reminding people of “America’s Longest War”. As veterans came back from the war, many felt unconnected with the people because of their harsh behaviors. Maya Lin designed a memorial to honor those who sacrificed their lives to save their country. The memorial stands as a realization to people about the 58,000 veterans who sacrificed their lives. Many thought of the memorial as being a non heroic memorial. However, many believed that the memorial is a heroic figure. The Vietnam War impacted other memorials such as the korean wall and War World Two
i. Difficulties faced by soldiers due to the nature of fighting in the Vietnam War - Personnel had difficulties with transportation supplied with adapted vehicles back seat faced rear to provide additional fire power (Source A) – It appears as if the government didn't worry enough to supply men with safe and capable equipment - Threat of traps led to fear as vehicles had to be parked on street at night (Source A) o Check for traps each morning became a daily ritual particularly in fuel tanks (Source A) o A request for a locking fuel cap was denied because weren’t entitled to one” (Source A) • What circumstances would have needed to arise for them to be entitled to one? The Offensive full guard was set up (24hrs a day), personnel got no sleep and were constantly on alert (Source A) – How significant would this have been in the personnel’s mental frame of mind?
The Vietnam War was the most publicized war during its era; moreover this was the most unpopular war to hit the United States. All over the country riots began to raise, anti-war movement spread all over the states begging to stop the war and chaos overseas. This truly was a failure in the political side of things. For the public, all they saw was a failed attempt in a far away country. Events such as the Tet Offensive where the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong established an all out attack on key locations around Vietnam, and although the Viet Cong was virtually wiped out, this still had a large affect psychologically on the troops as well as the populist back in the United States. Another atrocity that occurred during this war was the My Lai Massacre. This was the mass murder on unarmed civilians in South Vietnam during March 16,1968. Around November 1969, the world saw this and was outraged with the killings of innocent civilians prompting and giving the public more reasons to stop the war. Although the war was very unpopular, men and women were still fighting and dying for America. Heroes such as Captain John W, Ripley of Dong Ha, Medal of Honor recipients, and overall troops that gave the ultimate sacrifice were forgotten for a brief period. As unpopular as the war was, the American people should still know the stories and good that some of these troops had done for the United States.
The war was also known as the American War (in Vietnam, as opposed to the Vietnam War in America), the Vietnam Conflict, the Second Indochina War, and also the War Against the Americans to Save the Nation (The History of the Vietnam War). It started on November 1, 1955 and ended on April 30, 1975 (At a Glance June 2012). The main conflict that started the war was the aspiration of North Vietnam to unify the entire country under a single communist government that was modeled after the ones seen in the Soviet Union (now Russia) and China (Vietnam War |
Lin's work, unlike most previous military monuments, rejects the emphasis on heroics in favor of a poignant, contemplative, apolitical design which conveys an almost unbearable sense of loss. Simple, graceful, and abstract, the design specified two 246.75 foot long walls of polished black southern India granite, set below grade and connected at a 125 degree angle.2 Each segment of the wall is composed of 70 panels. At their intersection, the walls are 10.1 feet high and they taper down to a height of 8 inches at their extremities.3 The largest panels have 137 lines of names.4 The smallest panels have just one line. Each line consists of five names, which were sandblasted into the polished surface by hand, rather than cut into it with machine tools.5 Currently, the monument wall lists the names of 58,175 members of the armed forces who were confirmed killed or listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.6
The poem's persona and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall depend on each other to express the poem's intention. The poem's intention is to show that war is lethal, less than gloriful, and extremely real. Although years have gone by, these recollections are still affecting how he lives. Simply standing in front of the wall reminds the speaker of all of this. The Veterans Memorial takes on a life of its own. While the speaker is in its presense, the wall controls him. It forces him to remember painful memories and even cry, something he promised himself he would not do. The persona in the poem reacts to the power the wall has and realizes that he must face his past and everything related to it, especially Vietnam.
The Vietnam War was known for the thousands of lives that were lost and the billions of dollars in debt that destroyed the US economy. To this day, it is debatable as to whether or not US involvement in the war was worth the devastation it caused to the country. In 1954, French involvement in Vietnam ended and led to the Geneva Conference where a ceasefire agreement was negotiated. From the Geneva Accords, Vietnam was divided into two portions, North and South, at the 17th parallel. At the time, North Vietnam was communist and was gaining followers quickly (Rogers).
History has a strange way of coming back around when it comes to human civilization. It has been said repeatedly that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. However, just because there is a potential for danger in the future, this does not mean that humanity must ignore what once was. History is normally remembered through what is known as a memorial. When a memorial is put into a physical representation, it is then known as a monument.The need to memorialize events or people is complex; in some cases, monuments honor moments of great achievement, while in other cases, monuments pay homage to deep sacrifice. A monument's size, location, and materials are all considerations in planning and creating a memorial to the past. Examples of such feats are the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and even Mount Rushmore. For the latter of the
After the horrors of the Vietnam War a national monument honoring the brave soldiers was asked to be developed. In 1981, Maya Lin, an undergraduate at Yale University entered her design in the nationwide competition that was sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. From more than 1,400 submissions Maya Lin’s design was picked (Vietnam Veterans Memorial). The memorial was a black granite V-shaped sunken wall, which was composed of seventy-four panels that increased its height from eight inches to more than ten feet. On the wall the names are listed in chronological order according to the date of death or the day a soldier went missing during each day, these names are alphabetized (Roberts 909). Maya Lin’s main goal was to describe a journey which “would make you experience death and where you’d have to be an observer, where you could never fully be with the dead.” (Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial). Lin’s purpose of the memorial was not to forget about the war, but in fact it was to remember the truth of what happened and be able to look back and see the horrors that occurred during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, Maya Lin’s design of the memorial caused a lot of
The Vietnam War lasted from the winter of 1956 to the spring of 1975. The Vietnam War was a domesticated civil war between the communist, North Vietnam, and the democratic, South Vietnam. The North was supported by the Chinese communist, and the leader Ho Chi Minh. The Vietnam War introduced the United States to the Vietcong and Guerrilla warfare. During this time, the United States faced our own battles at home between two social groups called the Doves and the Hawks. This war was very divisive. The Doves protested and Hawks shunned them. Young men without money were being drafted while others went to college, got a medical note, or fled the country. Tensions were already high in the United States when Congress passed Public Law 88- 408, also known as the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
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.
Washington, DC is a spectacular place. This being my first time in DC, I was in awe of everything and all the historical places I encountered. The presence of the monuments and history is what made the capitol so magnificent. Having only read about the Lincoln memorial, I never had the chance to experience the sensation of being inside such an honorable place of importance. The imposing white marble walls of the memorial and the many people surrounding it could be seen from afar. Arriving at the location, an unknown feeling came over me. I was experiencing history in a whole different level. When I think about a memorial, the term remembrance comes to mind. Seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln brought pieces of memories from history class and evoked thoughts of what it might have felt like to be in his shoes. I was astonished by the statue’s enormousness and how grand Abraham Lincoln looked in his chair. The size of the statue compared to pictures from books and elsewhere was surreal. Abraham Lincoln was a very “powerful and prominent individual” in the history of our nation, the statue’s design and size reflected upon that. Looking around me, I wanted to know what the others thoughts were on seeing his statue and how they felt in that building. I finally had the courage to ask one or two people what they thought; they all had the same appreciation as me. Hearing about an important person or learning about them in a history book gives you vast knowledge but it doesn’t evoke the feeling of utter appreciation as the memorial does. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, many people wanted to build a memorial in honor of him. They wanted to be able to show how important he was to shaping our nation and to “honor his existence”. Ce...
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.
Originating on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918, the cessation of fighting at the end of World War I would come to be known as Veterans Day. This hallowed day, was thought to be the end to wars, and was reflected upon by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 as representative of the solemn pride to honor those who died in service of their country. (VA.gov)
The Vietnam War was one of the longest and most expensive wars in American history. It started from 1955 till April 30, 1975. This war lasted for almost 20 years. According to the article "How the U.S Got Involved In Vietnam" by Jeff Drake the U.S attacked Vietman and this wasn't supposed to happen. This war could have been avoidable. The 58,000 Americans didn’t have to die, nor did the 2,000,000 Vietnamese. The U.S government was responsible for their deaths. What the government told the public from the very beginning was that they were going to war because they had to stop the communist menace in Vietnam or other countries would follow suit; that they had to defend the democratic South Vietnamese government against the gathering Red hordes. While other people say it was an attempt by the U.S to suppress a heroic Vietnamese national liberation movement that had driven French colonialism out of its country (Drake, 1993).
Lin's Memorials address the basic social and authentic issues of our time. From the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which she composed as an undergrad understudy at Yale, to The Civil Rights Memorial in Alabama, and the Women's Table at Yale make our history some portion of the scene. To her most recent, What is Missing? which is centered around the earth.