Statues and Memorials:
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Located on the National Mall in Washington, DC,
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial recognizes and honors the men and women
who served in the Vietnam War. The Memorial consists of three parts
-- the Wall of names, the Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole, and
the Vietnam Women's Memorial.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, designed by
Maya Ying Lin, contains the names of the 58,220 men and women who
were killed and remain missing from the war.
The names are listed in the order in which the
men and women died or were declared missing. The first name is located
in the center of the memorial, at the top of the Wall, under the date
"1959," the year of the first death. The names continue
line by line down each panel, as if each were a page in a book, towards
the right end of the memorial. The names resume at the left end of
the memorial and continue toward the center. It is here, at the bottom
of the wall, where the last death is recorded, next to the date "1975."
A diamond next to a name indicates a person was killed. A plus next
to a name indicates a person is missing. Over 1,000 of the names on
the Wall are of people who are missing.
The names are etched on black granite panels, which
are arranged into two arms, extending from a central point to form
a wide angle of 125 degrees 12 minutes. The result is a shape of a
"v". Each wall is 246 feet 9 inches long, while the total
length of the Wall is 493 feet 6 inches. It is 10 feet 3 inches high
at the center of the memorial.
![Offerings of Love and Healing](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090103000048im_/http://bensguide.gpo.gov/images/symbols/vietnam_flowers_small.jpg)
Click on a thumbnail for a larger image.
Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole
The proposed design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
angered some Vietnam veterans and others who felt that it did not
convey the heroism, patriotism, and honor inherent in most war memorials.
The Three Servicemen Statue, designed by Frederick Hart, was a compromise
to that controversy and honors the American military who served in
Vietnam.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090103000048im_/http://bensguide.gpo.gov/images/symbols/servicemen_hand_small.jpg)
Click on a thumbnail for a larger image.
Vietnam Women's Memorial
This sculpture, designed by Glenna Goodacre, depicts
three uniformed women with a wounded soldier. While one nurse comforts
the soldier, another kneels. The third looks to the skies.
![Nurse Kneeling](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090103000048im_/http://bensguide.gpo.gov/images/symbols/women_kneeling_small.jpg)
Click on a thumbnail for a larger image.
For more information, check out the National
Park Service and the Virtual
Wall, maintained by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
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