Forgotten Controversy: Vietnam Memorial

[DougieZero]

I saw something on the History channel real quick about Veterans and people being angry at the simple black wall back when it was first being designed. They thought it was anti-war and wanted something real flashy? Also there was some problem with the young girl being Asian? I’m only 22, so I’m wondering what this was all about…

[yardwork]

1. It's a beautiful memorial. I cry every time I visit there.

It was controversial for the reasons that you give. The complaints about the wall led to a more traditional Vietnam statue being erected near the Wall.

The Wall is the most effective memorial I have ever seen in my life.

[Fescue4u]

6. Its very effective

Although Id say the Arizona Memorial is in the same class as "effectiveness"

Both are very somber.

[Vickers]

2. Yeah, it was VERY controversial when the design was first presented

But now Vietnam vets for the most part dig it.

Instead of celebrating war, which a lot of these things do, it remembered the troops who died. A radical idea at the time.

[chelsea0011]

5. It was a black monolith that went down into the ground

The idea was that it was depressing and the fact that the woman who designed it was Asian it became a controversy.

[MichiganVote]

3. The world renown designer is Asian

[DoBotherMe]

4. Maya Lin <eom>