About

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located near Constitution Gardens on the National Mall and northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. It honors members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, those who perished in Vietnam and South East Asia, and those missing in action. The memorial consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the most popular part of the memorial. The “wall” is actually made up of two identical walls that are each 246 feet and 9 inches long, and contain more than 58,000 names. According to the National Park Service, the memorial receives roughly 3 million visitors per year. If you’re looking for the name of a relative or friend, search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Virtual Wall.

History

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund was established in 1979 to raise money for the construction of a memorial to the veterans of the Vietnam War. In 1980, Congress allotted three acres near the Lincoln Memorial for the site of this memorial, and a design competition was held. Maya Ying Lin’s design was selected in 1981, and amidst controversy over her design, the Three Soldiers Statue was added to the memorial. Construction on the main wall began in March 1982, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was dedicated on November 13, 1982. The Three Soldiers statue, sculpted by Frederick Hart, was completed and dedicated by 1984. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial was designed by Glenna Goodacre and was dedicated in 1993.

Experience

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is free and open to the public 24 hours a day. The memorial is lit at night, and rangers and volunteers are present throughout the day and into the night to assist visitors. A visitor contact station is between this memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Photography with tripod usage is prohibited at the memorial, and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial may not be filmed or photographed for commercial purposes.