Like the conflict itself, the planning of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stirred great emotion and discord. But today, the finished memorial stands as a powerful tribute to the heroism of the nation’s fallen in Vietnam. To commemorate the memorial's 25th anniversary, the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, along with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the National Park Service, is featuring an exhibition titled "Vietnam Veterans Memorial: America Responds.” The exhibition runs at main Interior from Nov. 9 through Memorial Day 2008. It highlights the history of the memorial's creation and includes a selection of the mementos visitors have left at the memorial wall.

A group of veterans seeking recognition from the American people for those who served in Vietnam led the grassroots effort to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The veterans also sought to separate the individuals serving in the military during the Vietnam era from the U.S. policy during the war. They believed that such an approach provided a means of national reconciliation.

Jan C. Scruggs, a decorated infantryman, from Bowie, Md., led this effort for the memorial.  Scruggs, who was wounded in Vietnam, experienced the dual traumas other soldiers faced – recovery from the physical and psychological impact of the war and lack of compassion from many Americans upon his return. Scruggs studied the psychological effects on veterans as a graduate student. He used his findings to advocate for direct services to veterans and for the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Because of Scruggs’ advocacy, the memorial quickly received congressional support. Draft legislation introduced the idea that the memorial should contain the names of all who died in Vietnam. And in November 1979, Sen. Charles Mathias introduced a bill, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law, designating a 2-acre site adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial for this purpose. Carter perhaps summed up the intent of the memorial with his statement that “To die for one’s country is a sacrifice that should never be forgotten.”

In 1981, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund held a national design competition. The judges, a panel of architects, sculptors, and an author on books on Vietnam, awarded first place to Maya Ying Lin, a graduate student. Her design for the memorial was a granite wall engraved with the names of the fallen.

Opposition to Lin’s design was immediate and represented a cross section of society. Most criticism focused on the abstract nature of the design. Veterans who opposed the design noted that the memorial contained no recognizable image that related to their war experiences. Tom Wolfe’s op-ed article in The Washington Post even referred to it as a “Monument to Jane Fonda,” known for her activism against the Vietnam War.

This lengthy debate followed the winning design throughout the review process. Eventually supporters and opponents of the original design compromised, altering the design to include a sculpture of three soldiers and an American flag. The groundbreaking occurred in March 1982 with the official dedication following on Veterans Day of that year. Work continued on the monument with the placement of the flag and sculpture in 1984. This was followed with the addition of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in 1993 and the “In Memory” plaque in 2003.

From its construction to the present day, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has differed from other war tributes. It has had the unique ability to act as both a memorial to individuals and a tribute to their collective sacrifice. It has also offered a common ground where all Americans could come together and honor those who served and died.

Beginning with a veteran who tossed his Purple Heart medal into the foundation concrete during construction, veterans, family members and friends began to visit the memorial and leave tributes to individuals. Ranging from photographs and cherished mementoes to articles of clothing, these objects at the memorial offer healing and closure to those who deposit them. They also serve as a moving reminder to nation of the impact of the sacrifice on generations of Americans.

The National Park Service now receives these tributes and maintains them as part of the collective history of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. To date, visitors to the memorial have deposited more than 100,000 items at the memorial. Selections from these items are part of the Interior Museum’s exhibition. These items speak for the people who died in Vietnam and testify to the power of memory to heal the societal wounds of war.