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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, simply the Wall, was dedicated in 1982 and immediately subjected to controversy (Favorite, 2016). The architect Maya Ying Lin was the lucky winner of the design competition with more than a thousand projects, but she lost in veterans’ eyes. They deemed the Wall insufficient and bland, a shameful Wall of the war without resolution. I will discuss what makes the Wall a fitting memorial and what additions have been made to the composition to improve it. Despite the controversy, I believe the Wall serves its purpose as it showcases the war’s reality and is quite popular.
The Wall attracts many visitors to commemorate the casualties of the Vietnam War. Jennifer Favorite (2016) notes that the memorial offers “a discursive space prompting its audience to question the purpose and sacrifice of war” (p. 197). I could not have said it better myself, but some will argue that this is not the purpose of a memorial, stipulating that it should have glorified the veterans and the sacrifices they made. I agree that the Wall presents a memory rather than praise. However, does not the memory of a sacrifice convey a more powerful message than the praise? “The Legacy of Service” advises visitors to perceive the Vietnam War as a conflict, not as a good war (Favorite, 2016). The lack of resolution implied by the Wall helps with such perception better than any other monument.
In 1984 and 1993, two additional statues were added to the memorial, which, I believe, resolved the controversy (Favorite, 2016). The Three Servicemen statue and Vietnam Women’s Memorial both highlight the valiant contribution of soldiers, whereas the Wall offers a truthful perspective. Kirk Savage (2009) called the Wall “the capital’s first true victim monument” (as cited in Favorite, 2016, p. 197). Indeed, it commemorates soldiers as victims, making the memorial significant as a humane reminder of war’s horrors.
The Wall by Maya Ying Lin is a humble memorial that is thought-provoking and brave. It draws visitors, providing them with memory and a place to understand and remember. The war is a conflict, and, ultimately, there are no good wars. Wars may be beneficial but never pretty, while people tend to make wars glorious and noble. The additions to the memorial appeal to such feelings, more or less resolving the controversy. However, the Wall is necessary to commemorate the Vietnam War without embellishments, portraying not the war of heroes but victims.
Reference
Favorite, J. K. (2016). “We don’t want another Vietnam”: The Wall, the Mall, history, and memory in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center. Public Art Dialogue, 6(2), 185-205. Web.
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