To achieve this effect she chose polished black granite for the walls. Why was Maya Lins Vietnam War Memorial initially controversial? WebAnswer (1 of 4): The Vietnam war was controversial because the United States let international geopolitics drive its policy in a regional conflict. Some antiwar protestors blamed the men and women who served in Vietnam, taunting them and spitting on them when they came home. Like the war itself, the monument proved controversial. hSMk0+:dYm($nXBD$[e~g{xh. Support for the war eroded further. Cambodia It was designed by American architect Maya Lin. We had to constantly find the most effective next step to take and be sure not to get waylaid by tangents. The group started to hold regular planning meetings. Maya Lin, has gone on to become a respected architect and artist, with a studio in New York City. Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. Vietnam, however, was divided at the 17th parallel. It is a place to honor the thousands of American lives lost in a cause that ultimately ended in failure. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. The Salute opened with a vigil Wednesday morning at the National Cathedral, where all of the nearly 58,000 names on The Wall were read by volunteers around the clock, day and night, through midnight Friday. The American Legion, VFW, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), AMVETS, and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) made sure their members knew that veterans were going to be honored and welcomed that week on the National Mall. Scruggs and Doubek began having regular meetings with John P. Wheeler, a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School. As America expanded its involvement and threw more resources into the fight, the walls grow taller and the names grow overwhelming. The country was trying to emerge from an economic recession, and the recent military failure of Operation Eagle Claw, the abortive attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, was fresh in Americans minds. Bob Hope and other celebrities lent a hand with fundraising, and by 1981 some 275,000 Americans, along with corporations, foundations, veterans groups, civic organizations and labor unions, had given $8.4 million to the project. Vietnam Veterans Memorial The memorial was completed in late October 1982 and dedicated in November 1982. With the site approved, VVMF scrambled to address the issues of what the Memorial would look like and who would design it. They did not like its minimalist design. Ho Chi Minh led a communist government in the north (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) with its capital at Hanoi, and a new Republic of South Vietnam was established under President Ngo Dinh Diem, with its capital at Saigon. Jan C. Scruggs, a wounded Vietnam War vet, studied what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return to the United States. Each juror was required to read Fields of Fire, A Rumor of War, and other current literature about the Vietnam War. This fear evolved into the Domino Theory; if one country fell to communist control, its neighbors would also soon fall like a row of dominos. From the very beginning I often wondered, if it had not been an anonymous entry 1026 but rather an entry by Maya Lin, would I have been selected? she would later write. Omissions? Some public officials voiced their displeasure, calling the wall a black gash of shame. From the registration forms, it was apparent that architects, artists, designers, as well as veterans and students of all ages and all levels of experience were planning to participate. Scruggs and Doubek met with Mathias to outline their plans. They come because of the symbolism surrounding the beautiful monument. North Vietnamese officers, after the war, said the only thing they feared was an American-led invasion of the north, but the U.S. was not going to risk starting World War III, and at the time that seemed to loom as a distinct possibility. But others lambasted it as an insult. Civilian loss of life was also very heavy, with the lowest estimates around 415,000. Operation Huey In the end, the quarry in India was selected. The VC was effectively finished; it would not field more than 25,00040,000 troops at any time for the remainder of the war.
When I meet Vietnam veterans who stop me to say thank you for creating the Memorial, I always want to say: thank you, for the service and sacrifices that all of you have made in service to your country, she added. No American air strikes came to aid the overstretched South Vietnamese, despite Nixons earlier assurances to Thieu. The following week, Kurt Anderson recapped the festivities for TIME magazine: Saturdays three-hour parade down Constitution Avenue, led by [Gen. William] Westmoreland, was the vets own show. In March of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent the first U.S. combat troops into South Vietnam to fight the spread of Communism from North. Similarly, casualty totals among the VC and NVA and the number of dead and wounded civilians in North Vietnam cannot be determined exactly. Whenever 18-year-old .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Maya Lin walked through Yale Universitys Memorial Rotunda, she couldnt resist passing her fingers over the marble walls engraved with the names of those alumni who died in service of their country. Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been an issue of debate since its beginning, a debate that is far from worthwhile. What they did need, however, was an acceptable location for the Memorial and enough support to push the idea through various governmental committees and agencies. It was such a great cause, and they were bound and determined to make it happen.. Under those agreements, Cambodia and Laoswhich had been part of the French colonyreceived their independence. After meeting with the VVMF officers and advisors, Warner volunteered to help the organization raise the seed money needed to launch the fund raising campaign. The three of them had different strengths, Healy explained. Updated: February 22, 2019 | Original: November 13, 2012. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. All Rights Reserved. Veterans needed this, and so did the nation. Letters came from moms, dads, grandparents, sons and daughters with heartfelt notes accompanied by checks and dollar bills. Financial costs had risen to $30 billion a year. Its primary goal was to demoralize the North Vietnamese and diminish their manufacturing and transportation abilities. Everyone wanted to join the effort. The vision of VVMF is to ensure a society in which all who have served and sacrificed in our nation's Armed Forces are properly honored and receive the recognition they justly deserve. The added component of military security made the location even more attractive, since it would ensure no interference with the designs or the judging. During the Vietnam War, the U.S military engaged in an aggressive program of chemical warfare codenamed Operation Ranch Hand. Yet, to say the media cost America victory in Vietnam is vastly oversimplifying a very complex situation. The Vietnam War was the longest in U.S. history until the Afghanistan War (20012021). Lin and VVMF eventually selectedthe Cooper-Lecky Partnership as the architect-of-record, with Lin as the projects design consultant. Like the war itself, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial seemed destined to be a site of controversy and division. 921 0 obj
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Frustrated, Nixon ordered the big bombersB-52sto strike Hanoi, beginning December 16 (Operation LINEBACKER). I remind all of you of Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for justice for all Americans. With the jury selected, the next task was to announce and promote the competition. Since then, that number has jumped by several hundred. It was decided that VVMF would hold a design competition, open to any American citizen over 18 years of age. https://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-vietnam-veterans-memorial, 6 Things You May Not Know About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Learn More The flag-waving crowds even cheered., Over the four days there were also workshops, parties, events, and reunions. It would end in disaster for both sides. Washington Takes Oppression of Gun Owners to New Lows, Finding a Firearm: My Wifes First Pistol, Throwback Thursday: 5 Long-Slide Pistols I Cant Live Without. Why was the Vietnam War Memorial so controversial It was a whirlwind of events, and the press coverage was unbelievable. They did not like the idea that it was below ground level. In previous war, progress and setbacks could be shown on maps; large enemy units could be engaged and destroyed. On November 8, 1979, VVMF held a press conference in which Mathias, Warner, and several others announced the introduction of legislation to grant two acres of land near the Lincoln Memorial for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In July 1959 Major Dale Buis and Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand were off duty when they were killed during an attack at Bien Hoa. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. And her design was They were also the most collegial people, who would deliberate intensely but never argue or posture, Spreiregen remembered. Maya Lin was practically a kid when her design was selected to become the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was designed by American architect Maya Lin. The pilot of an F-8E Crusader did not see any ships in the area where the enemy was reported, and years later crew members said they never saw attacking craft. But the veterans had real problems. American helicopters rescued members of its embassy and flew some South Vietnamese to safety, but most were left behind. WebWhen the men returned home from war, they were not greeted with pride but with uneasiness. The administration was caught by surprise, however, when Diem was murdered during the coup, which was led by General Duong Van Minh. Spreiregen wrote, I saw this as a needed opportunity to honor the service and lives of the soldiers we had lost and do so by running a model competition., Arthur Mosley headed the site selection task group and was assisted by John Woods, a structural engineer, who had been permanently disabled in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. The emotional response from the public was overwhelming as veterans, friends, and families turned out to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War. I have a Master's degree in military history from King's College, London and my cornucopia of interests include: World War II, World War II, and World War II. Wheeler suggested that it should be a landscaped solution: a peaceful, park-like setting that could exist harmoniously with the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. President Johnson, watching the broadcast, said, If weve lost Walter Cronkite, weve lost the country. In May, Johnson announced he would not run for reelection. William Jayne, who had been wounded in Vietnam, volunteered to head up public relations activities. Why was black granite chosen for the Vietnam Memorial? A lingering question of the war is what might have happened if Eisenhower and Ho had arranged a meeting; possibly, an accord could have been reached, or possibly Ho was simply seeking to limit American involvement, in order to more easily depose the Diem government. WebThe In Memory plaque, dedicated in 2004, is near The Three Servicemen and honors the men and women who died as a result of their service in Vietnam. One example, cited in Grab Their Belts to Fight Them: The Viet Congs Big-Unit War Against the U.S., 19651966, by Warren Wilkins, is a description of the first major battle between the VC and American ForcesU.S. VVMFagreed to the statue compromise, as well as to adding a flag and to reviewing the inscription on the Memorial, but they did not want to wait untila statue was designed before breaking ground. Some opponents simply did not like the fact that Lin was a young student, a woman, and of Asian descent; how in the world could she possibly know how to honor the service of the Vietnam veteran? The communist takeover of China and subsequent war in Korea (1950-53) against North Korean and Chinese troops had focused a great deal of attention on Southeast Asia as a place to take a strong stand against the spread of communism. Over 500,000 wounded, Explore articles from the HistoryNet archives about Vietnam War. Review: Hi-Point JXP 10mm An Overgrown Yeet Canon Thats a Lot of Fun! Scruggs and Doubek realized that Cupp could be instrumental in helping communicate the all-important personal, emotional side of the healing story. They were the only father-son pair to die in Vietnam.) I think it left a lasting impression on me, Lin wrote, the sense of the power of a name.. What does the Vietnam Veterans Memorial look like? - 2023 A few preliminary concepts were embraced. (An American medic treated him during World War II, probably saving his life.) By the end of the first afternoon, one of the jurors, Harry Weese, returned to our impromptu conference lounge and told me, Paul, there are two designs out there that could do it.. WebThe memorial, located near the western end of the Mall, is a black granite V-shaped wall inscribed with the names of the approximately 58,000 men and women who were killed or missing in action. An article by Hugh Sidey in the February 22, 1982, issue ofTIMEmagazine described the session: A few days ago, 40 supporters and critics of the memorial gathered to try to break the impasse that threatened the memorial because of such features as the black color of the stone and its position below ground level. Most, like the Lincoln Memorial, were competitions between select designers. He also said there would be a pause in the air attacks on North Vietnam as the first step to de-escalate and promised America would substantially reduce the present level of hostilities.. The casualties Similar, even larger, atrocities were conducted by VC and NVA unitssuch as an NVA attack on a Buddhist orphanage at An Hoa in September 1970 or the execution of 5,000 people at Hue during the Tet Offensivebut the concept of American soldiers killing civilians in cold blood was more than many Americans could bear. And if they were bitter, who could blame them? Rangers from the National Park Service collect these items every day and, with the exception of unaltered U.S. flags and perishables, send them to a storage facility in Maryland. Vietnam War memorial Expert Answer Answer The memorial is a black granite V-shaped wall near the western end of the Mall etched with the names of the nearly 58,000 men and women who we View the full answer Previous question Next question WebWhy was the Vietnam womens memorial so significant? Opines that the vietnam war memorial was constructed for a noble purpose and is an historic reminder of how many men were lost. You had to live through that period to really understand it. Rockford residents tour Huey at Vietnam War memorial According to Lin, her intention was to create an opening or a wound in the earth to symbolize the pain caused by the war and its many casualties. Within a few years, he began calling for a memorial to help with the healing process for the roughly 3 million Americans who served in the conflict. The eldest juror, Pietro Belluschi, took a full day, said Spreiregen. My background was relatively modest, he said. (Ten times as many Vietnamese had fled the north, where the Communist Party was killing off its rivals, seizing property, and oppressing the large Catholic population.) We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. CBS evening news anchor Walter Cronkite returned to Vietnam to see for himself what was happening. Veterans frequently found themselves denying their time in Vietnam, never mentioning their service to new friends and acquaintances for fear of the reactions it might elicit. Your email address will not be published. With the introduction of legislation, the VVMF leaders realized that it was time to transition from a volunteer committee and to open a staffed office. WebHistAnsweredBot 6 days ago. Volunteers, Vietnam vets, family members of the deceased and employees of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund read the names each day over four consecutive days. By the March 31, 1981, deadline, 1,421 design entries were submitted for judging. "The idea of millions of schoolchildren year after year going to the National Mall and standing at the Vietnam Memorial and thinking 'This is what it means to be an American soldier?' The 15,000 in uniforms and civvies, walked among floats, bands and baton twirlers. Usually it refers to the period when the United States and other members of the SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) joined the forces with the Republic of South Vietnam to contest communist forces, comprised of South Vietnamese guerrillas and regular-force units, generally known as Viet Cong (VC), and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Ho attempted to contact Eisenhower to discuss Vietnam but received no answer. The domino fell but did not take down any of those around it. "The problems they saw were that it wasn't celebratory, that it made fighting and dying in an American war seem tragic," says historian Kristin Haas. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Contents1 What are three facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?2 What is the [] South Vietnam I had a general idea that I wanted to describe a journeya journey that would make you experience death and where youd have to be an observer, where you could never really fully be with the dead.