Few wars in American history, if any, can be accurately compared to the heartbreak and tension — domestic and abroad — of the Vietnam War. In 1975, the United States had to come to the realization that we had lost, and we lost to a third-world communist country. The long nightmare of the Vietnam War was over, and the majority of the country vowed to simply forget it ever happened. A large granite wall in Washington, DC ensures that the memory of the Vietnam War, and all its heartbreaks and tensions, will never be forgotten; and the wall’s odd partnership with a global icon validates hope and perseverance for the thousands of Americans who pay homage to the Vietnam War. Together, this pair accurately describes American history, from the Revolution to 9/11.
Designed by Maya Lin, a female Asian-American architecture student at Yale, the Vietnam War Memorial was constructed and finished in 1982. At that time, Americans were still coping with the Vietnam War and the country’s newfound mistrust of their government. Lin was subject to stiff opposition from many veterans and other Americans when her design was chosen for the Memorial. Many had issues with her qualifications and, frankly, the fact that she was a female and of Asian decent. However, Maya Lin’s passion for the project and ingenious concept of memorialization has given many Vietnam veterans and Americans closer.
The Vietnam War Memorial is simple. Simple to the degree in which you lose yourself in its simplicity. Walking down the brick path, the dark walls glimmer with hints of gold. The closer you get, you realize the glimmers of gold are actually names of every fallen American in the Vietnam War.
Slowly, the walls encapsulate you; the noisy DC atmosphere is blocked by the sobering mood at the very pinnacle of the memorial. All laughter and joy previously experienced at surrounding monuments cease to exist, and the recognition of America’s first defeat in war hits home. Veterans gather by the names of their fellow brothers in war, and families touch the names of their loved ones who passed on too soon. On-lookers and visitors witness heartbreak and emotion firsthand, the repercussions of the Vietnam War. However, at the very pinnacle of the Memorial, it takes only a ninety-degree turn to uplift one’s heartbroken mood and restore their American optimism.
The Washington Monument stands 3,700 feet northeast of the Vietnam War Memorial. It memorializes the father of liberty, with a humble structure that bursts 555 feet into American air. Like Washington who stood at six foot six inches, 220 pounds — the Washington Monument has a stable and reliable base, with a tall and guiding figure. At nearly any location in Washington, DC an individual look up and see the Washington Monument, guiding them back to safety and comfort.
` This duo of the Vietnam War Memorial and the Washington Monument symbolizes the American heartbreak and darkness of one era, and the perseverance, liberty, and optimism of another. America has gone through hardship in every decade since it’s founding, but it has also brought forth as much or more successes in history.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, President Lincoln was faced mounting challenges. A disciple of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, Lincoln turned to the values our country was founded upon to solve the American crisis. While at his cottage near Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, Lincoln witnessed the bodies of dead Union soldiers being buried in his backyard. But if Lincoln turned around and looked out his front window, he witnessed the building of the Washington Monument in the distance where optimism and guidance were restored.
While America persevered through the Great Depression and two World Wars, battled for equal rights for minorities and women, in the first half of the 20th century, the Washington Monument was there for guidance. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. orated his dream to the world on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking towards the Washington Monument. The Monument witnessed the funeral procession of John F. Kennedy as America mourned. But in these two cases, and every case in between, the Washington Monument has consistently stood tall for guidance back to American values.
Today, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Washington Monument are tourist hotspots in Washington, DC. People from all over can see the world’s tallest obelisk in the Washington Monument, and witness the memorialization of, perhaps, America’s darkest hour. But while individuals are consumed by the sorrow of the Vietnam War Memorial, it only takes a slight ninety-degree turn to be reinvigorated with strength and optimism from the Washington Monument. No matter the struggle in American history, Americans know they have a guiding light back to safety in the Washington Monument, as well as a constant grounding reminder of the importance of each one of our struggles, directly in Washington, DC.
