This memorial consists of two sunken walls of polished black granite panels, in a V shape with each leg 250 feet long, and listing the 58,000 (plus) names of all servicemembers killed or currently missing in action during the Vietnam War (1961 to 1975). The names are listed in order by date of death/missing in action status. Near the entrance to the wall is a statue of three soldiers, and a registration book, listing the names and dates of the servicemembers on the wall, along with the panel location. People looking for a specific name can look up this name and quickly locate the panel and position on the panel where the name is listed.The memorial was dedicated on 13 November 1982. The memorial wall was designed by Maya Ying Lin, a Yale University architecture student, whose design was chosen over 1400 entries. To ease the controversy caused by the non-traditional appearance of the memorial, a sculpture of three servicemen and an American flag were placed to one side of the memorial. The memorial was originally privately funded by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, headed by Jan Scuggs, and was turned over to the National Park Service on 11 November 1984 (Memorial Day).
This memorial consists of two sunken walls of polished black granite panels, in a V shape with each leg 250 feet long, and listing the 58,000 (plus) names of all servicemembers killed or currently missing in action during the Vietnam War (1961 to 1975). The names are listed in order by date of death/missing in action status. Near the entrance to the wall is a statue of three soldiers, and a registration book, listing the names and dates of the servicemembers on the wall, along with the panel location. People looking for a specific name can look up this name and quickly locate the panel and position on the panel where the name is listed.The memorial was dedicated on 13 November 1982. The memorial wall was designed by Maya Ying Lin, a Yale University architecture student, whose design was chosen over 1400 entries. To ease the controversy caused by the non-traditional appearance of the memorial, a sculpture of three servicemen and an American flag were placed to one side of the memorial. The memorial was originally privately funded by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, headed by Jan Scuggs, and was turned over to the National Park Service on 11 November 1984 (Memorial Day).
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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