My Visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall & Monument in Washington, DC - Essay Example

April 19, Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall The Vietnam War is probably the war that has had a large impact on many an Americans lives. There had been many movies made because of it. A subculture originated because of it, with the peace movement of the sixties and seventies. But most of all, many people shed their lives for it. Many people opposed this war because the troops that were deployed in this war were the sons of those who were deployed in World War II. And of course, war is definitely not the solution to a problem.

The war lasted for more than ten years, planting itself in the consciousness of Americans and the countries that participated. Many lives were wasted; many hearts broke because of this war, even if it meant “protecting the liberty” of a country. Because of this significance, the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. was erected in 1982. This memorial is dedicated to all the people who lost their lives fighting for liberty in the Vietnam War. The names of the US armed forces that were also Missing in Action (unaccounted for) were also engraved in the wall.

These walls are testament to the greatness of these people who would fight for their country’s cause however vain. The walls are majestic. They were designed by Maya Lin, an architect from Yale. There are two walls and it is long, at least 200 feet. She used special stone walls from India called gabbro. These stones were imported specifically because of their excellent reflective property. One can actually look at the walls and stare at his own reflection. This is one of the major features of the wall, which is actually clever because the idea behind it is that when a visitor looks at the wall and sees his reflection, he could also look at the names of the veterans which symbolically means that the past and present are together in the wall.

There are 58, 267 names engraved in the wall. To help the visitors there, the management put up a directory on the podiums. Philosopher and essayist George Santanaya’s quote that is engraved in an Auschwitz Concentration Camp “The one who doesn’t remember history is bound to live through it again” is also applicable here. As a visitor in the Memorial Wall, knowing how much the soldiers have done for the country is a humbling experience. These are very courageous people who had went to a foreign country, leaving their loved ones at home, only to be caught in a cycle of violence and end up losing.

Looking from a distance, one can see Vietnam War as a lost cause and having a memorial wall can’t do justice to the fact that some people’s loved ones suffered. But then, what can you do? War is a gamble. I think that’s the message of the Memorial Wall. It is not only for the veterans but to people like me who were born after the war. However beautiful, The Wall represents the loss that one can have when war is underway, the amount of tears that one will shed, the memories of countless people engraved in a concrete slab.

It seems to be telling the visitors to learn from the country’s mistakes, and should be mindful because there are no winners in war. Works Cited: Morgan, Lauren. The Wall (The Vietnam War Wall Memorial). Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 2007. Print.