What Are the Effects of the Building of the Vietnam War Memorial?
What Are the Effects of the Building of the Vietnam War Memorial? The Vietnam War memorial is a wall covered with the most serious graffiti imaginable. It is a wall, but a human wall, a stone record of human flesh, its very hardness made of vulnerability (Johnson 1). This research paper is going to highlight the impact that the memorial has had on individuals that have visited the wall, the intention of the creation of the memorial, and how the memorial has changed individual’s perspectives of the Vietnam War after visiting the remembrance site. The Vietnam War was a tragedy for all who experienced it and it left a scar on America as one of the most traumatic wars in United States history. The Vietnam War Memorial has impacted many individuals who have visited the wall. Many war veterans, of the Vietnam War, visit the wall in order to help reflect and heal from past traumatic images. They feel that the wall provides them with a sense of security and protection because they know that they had a high chance of death. There were many casualties as a result of the Vietnam War. The memorial has 58,256 engraved names etched into the, “…black granite walls with alternations of shadow and illumination,” (Garber 1). These names represent all of the fallen soldiers, who gave their lives to fight for America’s freedom, as well as the soldiers who went missing in action and remains who have not been discovered. Also, the Vietnam Memorial provides a place for individuals to feel close and reconnect with loved ones and friends. As the wall was being constructed, there were many critics who felt that the wall was going to be, “…a black gash of shame,” (Garber 2). Individuals felt that it was not going to be a monument that grabbed people’s attention. However, the Vietnam veterans loved it. Bearded veterans could be seen reaching towards the names of remembered fallen soldiers, running their fingers across the letters (Garber 2). These men of the war were frequently forced