why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial

About 3 million people visit it each year, more than visit the Washington Monument. By the time the compromise statue is dedicated, a move for the addition of a women's memorial is already underway. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) People of all ages got to explore a special helicopter at the nations second largest Vietnam veterans memorial on Saturday. WebAnswer (1 of 4): The Vietnam war was controversial because the United States let international geopolitics drive its policy in a regional conflict. 170,000220,000 military Johnson wanted to focus on instituting Great Society programs at home, but Vietnam was a snake he did not dare let go of. The Remarkable Story of Maya Lins Vietnam Veterans Memorial Her only son Robert, an Army draftee, was killed by a land mine on his 21st birthday, June 6, 1968. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Analyzes how the The French suffered a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, leading to negotiations that ended with the Geneva Agreements, July 21, 1954. Diem fell from favor with his American patrons, partly over disagreements in how to handle the war against the VC and partly because of his unpopular suppression of religious sects and anyone he feared threatened his regime. Many politicians expressed their support, and the U.S. Congress passed legislation reserving three acres in the northwest corner of the National Mall for a future monument. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), This 21-Year-Old College Student Designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The division was supposed to be temporary: elections were to be held in both sections in 1956 to determine the countrys future. He found that returning veterans were finding it hard to trust people. I heard there was a group of serious veterans, not just people getting together to have a beer in the evening, but a group that was serious about getting together to address the problems of the veterans.. WebWhy was the Vietnam Way Memorial so controversial? Lin went on to design the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, and Yale Universitys Womens Table, which honors the first female students admitted to her alma mater. Please be respectful of others. The program, which had been poorly managed, was abandoned after about two years, following the coup that deposed Diem. It seemed every time they contacted someone, they were greeted with enthusiasm for the idea. You may have been tear-choked as you touched or watched others touch "the Wall" at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most visited war memorial in our nation's capital. A towering mass of carefully etched names soon confronts the visitor until the wall is over ten feet high at its apex1968, the year of the infamous Tet offensive which simultaneously broke the back of the Viet Cong and also Americas will to fight them. For the first time, MACV worked with South Vietnams government to create annual plans. But others lambasted it as an insult. Such images pack tremendous emotional punch but often lack context. The memorial was similarly controversial at first. From the registration forms, it was apparent that architects, artists, designers, as well as veterans and students of all ages and all levels of experience were planning to participate. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Frustrated, Nixon ordered the big bombersB-52sto strike Hanoi, beginning December 16 (Operation LINEBACKER). Volunteers, Vietnam vets, family members of the deceased and employees of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund read the names each day over four consecutive days. The ARVN bent but did not break. Vietnam Memorial Scruggs added: Make this place look like an airstrike was called in, he instructed. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been an issue of debate since its beginning, a debate that is far from worthwhile. READ MORE: Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When They Returned? Initially, however, homefront support for the war effort grew, but by March Americans, perceiving no change in strategy that would bring the war to a conclusion, became increasingly disillusioned. Vietnam His successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, inherited the Vietnam situation. Throughout the judging process, one of the judges, Grady Clay, had taken meticulous notes of the jurys discussions. The following February a strategic hamlet program began; it forcibly relocated South Vietnamese peasants to fortified strategic hamlets. All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval. It would be a way to honor the veterans and to help themand the countryheal. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. His idea attracted a group of like-minded veterans who realized that creating such a memorial would depend on their own initiative. Why was the Vietnam War Memorial so controversial? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 4: The Artistic Controversy, 3/1982-11/1985 >>>>> 1988. Controversy The country was trying to emerge from an economic recession, and the recent military failure of Operation Eagle Claw, the abortive attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, was fresh in Americans minds. Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment. You had to live through that period to really understand it. Studio 360 host Kurt Andersen explores the stories of those objects and of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in a powerful audio portrait that is part of the American Icons series from Studio 360. Like the war itself, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial seemed destined to be a site of controversy and division. Bob was the detail person and a good writer. "The practice that is ubiquitous now of, at the site of some kind of public tragedy, people bringing their teddy bears and their toys and letters and flowers it didn't happen in public places in the United States before Maya Lin's memorial.". Yet, to say the media cost America victory in Vietnam is vastly oversimplifying a very complex situation. It ultimately chose entry number 1026, which it found to be an eloquent place where the simple meeting of earth, sky and remembered names contains messages for all.. It was the most thoughtful and thorough discussion of design that I have ever heard, and I have heard many, he recalled. At 21 and still an undergraduate, Linconceived her design as creating a park within a park a quiet protected place unto itself, yet harmonious with the overall plan of Constitution Gardens. Hanoi re-activated the Viet Minh to conduct guerilla operations in the south, with the intent of destabilizing President Diems government. On July 9, 1964, China had announced it would step in if the U.S. attacked North Vietnam, as China had done in the Korean War. They needed support, friendship and help. (An American medic treated him during World War II, probably saving his life.) For this reason, in Vietnam today it is known as the American War. Spreiregen, a graduate of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, was a Fulbright Scholar who had served as the director of urban design programs at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) from 1962-66 and as the first director of architecture programs at the National Endowment for the Arts from 1966-70. Whenever 18-year-old .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Maya Lin walked through Yale Universitys Memorial Rotunda, she couldnt resist passing her fingers over the marble walls engraved with the names of those alumni who died in service of their country. There were four phases to the design competition spanning almost one year: planning and preparation; the launch; the design phase; the design evaluation and selection; the press conference and public presentation. Republican Richard Nixon won the presidency in the fall elections. Granite was chosen since it could withstand the tests at the time. The U.S., possessing the largest foreign military presence, essentiallydirected the war from 1965 to 1968. Many pushed friends in wheelchairs. They treated the moms the same as they treated the vets. Security was improving even as American forces were in the process of withdrawing. 5/1981 - 3/1982. The pilot of an F-8E Crusader did not see any ships in the area where the enemy was reported, and years later crew members said they never saw attacking craft. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial: from Controversy to Healing, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). I heard that those present agreed to double their contributions after Taylor completed her remarks, Scruggs said. Why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial? - vietnam On the second day, the jury examined the designs together, walking the many aisles and stopping at each of the 232 designs that had been flagged by one or more of the jurors, pausing to discuss each design that had been noted. South Korea: 50,000 Vietnam War memorial WebWhen the men returned home from war, they were not greeted with pride but with uneasiness. The controversy about the wall reflected Americas feelings at that time regarding our involvement in Vietnam. The veterans themselves began the project , not the government . A flower is laid on the names of fallen troops on "The Wall" of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington on Nov. 12, 2018. Then, in October 1980, veteran and lawyer Tom Carhart, also a former supporter, testified before the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) against the design, saying that One needs no artistic education to see this design for what it is, a black trench that scars the Mall. Not even three years after the memorial opened, the New York Times reported it was something of a surprise is how quickly America has overcome the divisions caused by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.. John F. Kennedy discusses Vietnam in 1963. 's blog. The Remarkable Story of Maya Lins Vietnam Veterans Memorial. ), After the memorial wall was unveiled on November 13, 1982, however, the controversy quickly subsided. Unlike previous wars, where only still images or short movie newsreels were available for conveying images, this was Americas first television war. His political party, the Democrats, had been blamed for China falling to communism; withdrawing from Vietnam could hurt them in the 1964 elections. North Vietnam was a prodigy of both the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Red China. Carhart pushed for a more traditional monument and even submitted an entry into the contest featuring him carrying a fallen comrade. Although publicly the war in the south was described as a civil war within South Vietnam, it was guided, equipped and reinforced by the communist leadership in Hanoi. The Century; America's Time: 1981-1989 A New World An ad hoc group of veterans had scheduled a meeting to try to use Vietnam Veterans Week to generate publicity for veterans need, and Scruggs thought that would be a good time to announce his plans. They were real guys. People would leave the Memorial clutching handwritten phone numbers and promising to write letters. Kennedy saw American efforts in Southeast Asia almost as a crusade and believed increasing the military advisor program, coupled with political reform in South Vietnam, would strengthen the south and bring peace. During the Second World War, Vichy France could do little to protect its colony from Japanese occupation. 915 0 obj <> endobj What were some of Maya Lins ideas for this memorial? The NVA had to take over. Opines that the vietnam war memorial was constructed for a noble purpose and is an historic reminder of how many men were lost. What does a news production assistant do? Maya Lin was called as a witness to defend her design in front of Congress, and as a compromise measure an American flag and a more conventional bronze statue, The Three Soldiers (sometimes called The Three Servicemen) were added to the Memorial site. Veterans frequently found themselves denying their time in Vietnam, never mentioning their service to new friends and acquaintances for fear of the reactions it might elicit. It was one of the most resounding defeats in all of military historyuntil it became a victory. To make matters worse, Diem responded by sending troops to raid pagodas. In previous war, progress and setbacks could be shown on maps; large enemy units could be engaged and destroyed. In the fall of 1980, VVMF announced the national design competition open to any U.S. citizen, who was over 18 years old. Mathias also knew the country was ready, Healy recalled. The text size is less than half an inch, which is unusual for monument design, but was selected to make the memorial read more like a book. Each juror was required to read Fields of Fire, A Rumor of War, and other current literature about the Vietnam War. Partially, this happened because the subject of the Vietnam War itself was sensitive and painful for the public. Direct mail was proving to be a highly effective fundraising tool. Maya Lin was practically a kid when her design was selected to become the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. On April 27, 1979, Doubek incorporated the fledgling entity, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and Scruggs asked him to be an officer and director. In fact, he would spend a lifetime trying to honor their memory. The National Park Service archives most of the nonperishable items left at The Wall. Jack was the visionary, the creative, big-picture guy. Range Report: How Good Is the Smith and Wesson M&P FPC 9mm Folding Carbine? WebThe In Memory plaque, dedicated in 2004, is near The Three Servicemen and honors the men and women who died as a result of their service in Vietnam. Lins wall design turned out to be more intelligent than many armchair critics had realized. Wearing well-worn uniforms, their bronze weapons seem heavy to them. Because of this, Mathias appointed her to manage the details and to work with Scruggs, Doubek, and Wheeler on the legislation for the memorial. The U.S., which had been gradually exerting influence after the departure of the French government, backed Diem in order to limit the area under communist control. Contents1 What are three facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?2 What is the [] Why was the Vietnam War so Controversial? Ho attempted to contact Eisenhower to discuss Vietnam but received no answer. When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was first dedicated in 1982, Lins wall contained the names of 57,939 American servicemen believed to have lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Lin ultimately schooled her professor, who also entered the national design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and lost to his student. General Price, along with Senators Warner and Mathias and future Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, gave moving addresses before the command was given, and 150 shovels entered the ground with enthusiastic veterans enjoying the moment. Vietnam is a very important war in the story of Americas history. The Vietnam Wall, as it's commonly known, stands as a tribute to the war's veterans, who consider it a tangible symbol that the American people recognized and We strive for accuracy and fairness. A few of the most vocal opponents, including James Webb and H. Ross Perot, had previously been strong supporters of a memorial. And if they themselves didnt know how to help, they knew someone who did. To achieve this effect she chose polished black granite for the walls. Their military experience meant they had contacts far and wide, at all levels of all professions, within government and the private sector. Check out six facts about this iconic testament to sacrifice and loss. The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 19541975. Why was the Vietnam womens memorial so significant? It was designed by American architect Maya Lin. Ike may not have seen the message, but at any rate he was focused on establishing NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as a wall against additional communist advances in Europe and was intent on securing Frances participation in NATO. . Its army lacked reserves, while the NVA was growing. This fear evolved into the Domino Theory; if one country fell to communist control, its neighbors would also soon fall like a row of dominos. The communist takeover of China and subsequent war in Korea (1950-53) against North Korean and Chinese troops had focused a great deal of attention on Southeast Asia as a place to take a strong stand against the spread of communism. Word spread quickly among Vietnam veterans that the politicians in Washington were stabbing them in the back with a black gash of shame. President Reagans Secretary of the Interior at one point refused to issue a building permit to allow construction to begin at the Memorial site. They came from veterans and from the neighbors, teachers, coaches and friends of veterans. Courtesy of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. The Salute opened with a vigil Wednesday morning at the National Cathedral, where all of the nearly 58,000 names on The Wall were read by volunteers around the clock, day and night, through midnight Friday. He also found that those veterans whose units experienced high casualty rates were experiencing higher divorce rates and a greater frequency of combat-related dreams. Tuskegee Airman Clarence D. Lester Broke Barriers, Biography: You Need to Know: Rick Thornton. Similar, even larger, atrocities were conducted by VC and NVA unitssuch as an NVA attack on a Buddhist orphanage at An Hoa in September 1970 or the execution of 5,000 people at Hue during the Tet Offensivebut the concept of American soldiers killing civilians in cold blood was more than many Americans could bear. To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion. why did Rome destroy Carthage? : r/HistoriansAnswered What symbolism did Maya Lin achieve by creating this memorial? The Power of a Name | City Journal They struck at least 30 provincial capitals and the major cities of Saigon and Hue. Many had worked together, some in Washington. Low estimates calculate 110,000 combat KIA and a half-million wounded. Scruggs would never forget the awful scene. In retaliation for the invasion, and in hopes of forcing Hanoi to negotiate in good faith, Nixon ordered Haiphong harbor in North Vietnam to be mined and he intensified bombing of North Vietnam. At the time, well-managed open design competitions were common in Europe, but not in the United States. Could it heal the chasm within society, promote closure, show gratitude to those who served, comfort those in grief, and remind future generations of the toll wrought by war? When they returned home from serving their country, there was no national show of gratitude. As the selection of the granite was narrowed down, Lin was keen on preserving the notion that the granite walls be reflective and thin to help express a critical aspectof the design that the memorial was a cut in the earth that had been polished. After Lins monument was dedicated on November 13, 1982, however, it became a popular and moving tourist attraction. For weeks, he obsessed about the idea of building a memorial. William Jayne, who had been wounded in Vietnam, volunteered to head up public relations activities. Early Protests Vietnamese monk protesting with self Your email address will not be published. Veterans would stay at the wall for hours making pencil rubbings of names that were important to them. Others hold meaning only to those who left them at the wall, such as an experimental war-era Case jungle survival knife, of which only 144 were made. It would end in disaster for both sides. The first phase encompassed the detail planning and preparations for holding the competition, said Spreiregen. Over several tense weeks, more debate followed, until the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) gave their approval for a statue and flag in concept, pending suitable placement of those elements. But if the challenges seemed insurmountable, no one expressed any fears. so controversial On April 30, 1980, the Senate approved legislation authorizing the Memorial, followed by approval in the House on May 20, 1980. hbbd``b`6m@[$6@? g The crowd at the 1982 dedication of the memorial. Success was measured in body count. It was to be a war of attrition and statistics, a policy that suited Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who distrusted the military and often bypassed the Joint Chiefs of Staff in issuing directives. Just before Christmas 1979, Warner hosted a fundraising breakfast in his Georgetown home. WebWhy was the Vietnam womens memorial so significant? It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier and serves as a reminder of the important support and caregiving roles that women played in the war as nurses, air traffic controllers, communication specialists, etc. Within a few years, he began calling for a memorial to help with the healing process for the roughly 3 million Americans who served in the conflict. But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could. Wheeler had the idea to bypass the traditional site selection route and have Congress pass legislation to award a specific area for a memorial site. The VC were often supplemented by units of the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN), more often called simply the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) by those fighting against it. As a first step, VVMF retained architect Paul Spreiregen to serve as the Professional Advisor for the competition. Within a span of just a few years, opposition to the Vietnam War became a colossal movement, with protests drawing hundreds of thousands of Americans into the streets. A chronological listing would also allow a returning veteran to find his or her time of service on The Wall and those who died together to remain together forever on The Wall. (His son, Marine Corps lance corporal Richard Fitzgibbon III would be killed in action in Vietnam September 7, 1965. Vietnam Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. To bring the design into reality would require an architect of record. Mathias had grown increasingly concerned about how veterans had been treated on their return. Photo by William Bill Lecky. Financial costs had risen to $30 billion a year. To Heal a Nation, a book written by Jan Scruggs and Joel Swerdlow about the creation of the Memorial, provides a vivid sketch of the scene: I have heard your arguments, said General Price. Two younger monks poured a mix of gasoline and jet fuel over him and, as the three had planned, set fire to him. But several weeks after the announcement, a handful of people began to protest the design. Population in the south was mostly clustered in a few areas along the coast; the north always enjoyed a larger population. Like the war itself, the monument proved controversial. Color should mean nothing now., Sideys piece continued: At the end of five hours and much shouting, General Mike Davison, retired, who led the Cambodian incursion in 1970, proposed a compromise: add the figure of a soldier in front of the long granite walls that will bear the 57,709 names of those who died or are missing and the tribute to all who served. No one wanted the war to happen in the first place, so having a memorial was a constant reminder of the war no one wanted . WebIn this essay, the author. Vietnam, however, was divided at the 17th parallel. They felt it was a slap in the face to those who had served because it did not contain traditional symbols honoring service, courage, and sacrifice. {W^|\5W8\5WnJp%X99!88AHp1F b @_bYR!uLrLf0``be2p9c_( X< %X )?\Fm j] Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. It ended with communist victory in April 1975. The designs were received and processed in a large warehouse east of Washington. Bob Hope and other celebrities lent a hand with fundraising, and by 1981 some 275,000 Americans, along with corporations, foundations, veterans groups, civic organizations and labor unions, had given $8.4 million to the project. In July 1959 Major Dale Buis and Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand were off duty when they were killed during an attack at Bien Hoa. By the end of 1967, there were 540,000 American troops in Vietnam, and the military draft was set to call up 302,000 young men in the coming year, an increase of 72,000 over 1967. The women soldiers the nurses suffered too. On January 27, 1973, peace accords were signed between North Vietnam and the U.S. Vietnam A few preliminary concepts were embraced. I remind all of you of Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for justice for all Americans. North Vietnam When Lin first visited the proposed location for the memorial, she wrote, I imagined taking a knife and cutting into the earth, opening it up, an initial violence and pain that in time would heal. Her memorial proved to be a pilgrimage site for those who served in the war and those who had loved ones who fought in Vietnam. Lin became a design consultant to the architect of record. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Her design only earned a B in her class at Yale, so Lin was shocked when competition officials came to her dormitory room in May 1981 and informed the 21-year-old that she had won the design and the $20,000 first prize. According to Lin, her intention was to create an opening or a wound in the earth to symbolize the pain caused by the war and its many casualties. And if they were bitter, who could blame them? The National Park Service has kept and preserved more than 100,000 offeringsSouth Vietnamese money, American medals and insignia, bits of uniforms, combat boots, a captured Viet Cong flag, and even a chopper style customized Harley motorcycle. An article by Hugh Sidey in the February 22, 1982, issue ofTIMEmagazine described the session: A few days ago, 40 supporters and critics of the memorial gathered to try to break the impasse that threatened the memorial because of such features as the black color of the stone and its position below ground level. Both sides were fighting a war of attrition, so communist commanders sent Hanoi battle reports that often were pure fantasy. Though a congressional investigative committee the previous year had warned that America could find itself slipping into in a morass that would require more and more military participation in Vietnam, Johnson began a steady escalation of the war, hoping to bring it to a quick conclusion.

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