Unique Design of the Vietnam War Memorial Essay -- American America Hi

Unique Design of the Vietnam War Memorial At the age of twenty wiz, a female undergraduate at Yale University namedMaya Lin submitted her design for the Vietnam Memorial. Her idea for the annals was extremely unique and controversial. After long discussions bya panel, it was chosen for construction. The design that she submitted wasone that was very different in comparison to other memorials, and it wasone that has a tendency to leave a lot of questions on the minds of thevisitors. On the face of the memorial there is a list of all those whodied or are missing in the order by which they were lost. It could seemto some one who did not take the incident that the monument honorsonly those lost, but that is incorrect. Maya Lins design formed into the nigh unique memorial structure of its kind, which honors all who served inthe Vietnam War (Colliers 23 137). The official name given to the monument was the Vietnam Veterans memorial.In this name alone it is clear that it was not erec ted for the solepurpose of honoring only those who were lost in the conflict. The term KIAwas the abbreviation used for those people who were killed in action, andthese people represent 47,000 of the 58,000 names on the wall. The other11,000 were soldiers who died from crashes, snake bites, illnesses, andother non-combat related deaths (Olson 227). There is no distinction madebetween the two groups on the monument. The structure is a v-shapedpolished granite slab that unlike other monuments has no message of honoror patriotism. on the whole of those subjects are left to the thoughts of thebeholder. People often find therapy in locating the name of a companion ora loved one. The Vietnam Veterans Memori... ...NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND OF THOSE WHO await MISSING AREINSCRIBED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE TAKEN FROM US. The Vietnam VeteransMemorial is also unique in the sense that is honors all who fought, asmost monuments honor only those who died. From this one could imply thatthe veterans were not sufficiently honored by the people of America.(Colliers 139-140) It is clear that the erection of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was awonderful increase to the Washington Mall of monuments. There is somedisagreement as to the exact meaning of the monument, but that is becausein was designed for that very purpose. Maya Lin was quoted to say that shewanted a quiet place, meant for personal reflection and private reckoning(Colliers 139) That was exactly what she gave to the country in her uniqueinterpretation of what the monument should be.