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The Vietnam War is considered one of the most controversial and longest wars in the American history. It led to the construction of the Vietnam Veterans memorial wall in 1982, having been crafted by Maya Lin, an architecture student at Yale University. The Vietnam Veterans moving memorial wall is a national memorial located in Washington D.C. The wall contains names of servicemen who died (Killed in Action) or went missing (Missing in Action) during the Vietnam War. “The memorial comprises of three distinct parts which include three Soldiers statues, Vietnam Veterans Wall and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial” (McGuiness, 2011).
The Vietnam War was surrounded by numerous myths claiming that many of those killed in the Vietnam War blacks. However, according to the memorial wall, 86% of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam war were Caucasians, 12.5% blacks and 1.2% other races. It also believed that America lost in the Vietnam War. American believes that The Vietnam Veteran memorial is not a just commentary regarding the war but rather forms a dialogue with those who died. The experience is felt in the structure represented by its polished walls. Visiting the wall forms a personal memory that resembles the actual memories and experiences of the Vietnam War. “It helps one capture the feelings of ambiguity and anguish that was evoked by the Vietnam War” (Mandino et al., 2011).
The wall was crafted in a design that gives the visitors an opportunity to experience a mythological journey with lots of hardships and trials enabling the visitors become psychological whole after the visit. Visitors also leave letters and offerings at the site to symbolize of appreciation and remembrance for those who died. The VVM acts as a symbo...
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... who sacrificed. Today, the wall exhibits the true spirit of togetherness and national unit portrayed by Americans through a historical and cultural context. It will forever remain a place of hope and optimism for many Americans.
Works Cited
Holmes, C., Sullivan, M., Finlay, J., Natick (Mass.)., Morse Instutite Library (Natick, Mass.), & Veterans Oral History Project (2012). The moving wall Natick commemorative booklet: In honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States who servied in The Vietnam War. Natick, Mass: Morse Institute Library.
Mandino, S., Sullivan, M., & Morse Institute Library (Natick, Mass.). (2012). Veterans oral history project.
McGuiness, J. J., Jolley, E. J., Nee, C., Rovner, M., Sullivan, T. B., Sinclair, R. C., Liben, D. H., Natick Pegasus (Natick, Mass.). (2011). The Vietnam moving wall. Natick, Mass.: Natick Pegasus.
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 has become a focal point of the Sixties. Known as the first televised war, American citizens quickly became consumed with every aspect of the war. In a sense, they could not simply “turn off” the war. A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo is a firsthand account of this horrific war that tore our nation apart. Throughout this autobiography, there were several sections that grabbed my attention. I found Caputo’s use of stark comparisons and vivid imagery, particularly captivating in that, those scenes forced me to reflect on my own feelings about the war. These scenes also caused me to look at the Vietnam War from the perspective of a soldier, which is not a perspective I had previously considered. In particular, Caputo’s account of
...Veterans Memorial is not primary focus. Louis Torres points out Fredrick's Hart's sculptor "Three Soldiers" and Glenna Goodacre's "Vietnam Women's Memorial" as significant works of art. The articles shows the unjust and tainted opinion of the New York Times author, Daniel Orkrent's commentary. This argument was one primary ideas to contrast the positive and negative impact of the memorial.
"Overview of the Vietnam War." Digital History. Digital History, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
... Vietnam Women's Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and is located in Constitution Gardens on the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The Memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and receives an estimated 3 million visitors each year.
Karnow, S., & Gropp, G. (1992). In Orange County's Little Saigon, Vietnamese try to bridge two worlds. Smithsonian, 23(5), 28.
Wallace Terry has collected a wide range of stories told by twenty black Vietnam veterans. The stories are varied based on each experience; from the horrific to the heart breaking and to the glorified image of Vietnam depicted by Hollywood. Wallace Terry does not insinuate his opinion into any of the stories so that the audience can feel as if they are having a conversation with the Vietnam Veteran himself. Terry introduces the purpose of the book by stating, “ Among the 20 men who portray their war and postwar experiences in this book. I sought a representative cross section of the black combat force.”(p. XV) Although the stories in this book were not told in any specific order, many themes became prominent throughout the novel such as religion, social, and health.
The Military History of the United States: The Vietnam War, the Early Days, Marshall Cavendish, New York, 1992: 9, 22, 25, 38.
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...
Part of this assignment is to describe my impressions of the Vietnam War and its impact on the men who fought it. This is a very difficult task. No matter how many articles and stories I read, I will never truly understand the pain and anguish these men have endured. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it would be to endure 2 months of being tied in the most awkward body-stretching position possible. Sure, like anyone I believe that the U.S. government got into an unwinnable war, but the bureaucrats were in a tough political position and they felt this was essential. No matter the case, it is ridiculous how American citizens displayed open dishonor and disgrace to both fallen and returning soldiers. These men went through the worst imaginable experience and they were slapped in the face and spit in the nose when they returned. They went through those circumstances because the government they were loyal to put them in that position.
The Vietnam War was a controversial conflict that plagued the United States for many years. The loss of life caused by the war was devastating. For those who came back alive, their lives were profoundly changed. The impact the war had on servicemen would affect them for the rest of their lives; each soldier may have only played one small part in the war, but the war played a huge part in their lives. They went in feeling one way, and came home feeling completely different. In the book Vietnam Perkasie, W.D. Ehrhart describes his change from a proud young American Marine to a man filled with immense confusion, anger, and guilt over the atrocities he witnessed and participated in during the war.
Not only are military heroes buried at Arlington, but memorials have also been built to honor others who have given their lives for America. The memorials that are located throughout Arlington tell a story about people throughout American history (Reef 43). Each year families walk the endless rows of white head stones at Arlington in order to pay their respects to the ones that have given their lives for America.
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
...Robert S with Brian VanDeMark. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam. Vintage Books Edition published by Vintage Books, New York, 1996. Original hardcover edition published by Times Books, New York, 1995.
As a young Vietnamese-American boy, I have always been curious about my culture and ancestry. My family has gone through a lot of struggles before coming to states, but I never had a history lesson of what their lives were like. Being born in the United States, I didn’t have to experience the hardships that my parents and grandparents had to deal with it. A big part of Vietnamese history is having to deal with the Vietnam War and the impacts of immigration. The Vietnam War took place in 1954 and lasted until 1975. The war grew because of the spread of Communism from North Vietnam to the South. Refugees had to risk losing their family, friends, and their lives in order to have a chance of survival. Vietnam faced many obstacles throughout history