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10 Facts About the Vietnam War Memorial

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In 1979, a Vietnam veteran started the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund with plans to create a place for Vietnam War veterans to gather and express their grief as part of the healing process. It took two years for the organization to raise enough money to build the monument. The black granite wall attracts millions of visitors each year and is one of the most popular sites in Washington, D.C.

Private Donors Paid for the Memorial

A wounded Vietnam War veteran started the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in 1979. Within two years, the fund collected more than eight million dollars from the private sector. The United States government donated land for the memorial but never gave money to the cause.

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A College Student Designed the Memorial

The Veterans Memorial Fund decided to hold a contest for the memorial's design. Yale University student Maya Lin won the design contest for the memorial. This daughter of Chinese immigrants competed with professional architects.

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People Leave Gifts at the Memorial

Every day visitors to the memorial leave artifacts at the base of the wall. These items include photographs, military medals and commemorative bracelets. Rangers collect these gifts and store them in a nearby facility.

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The Reflective Surface Is an Intentional Part of the Design

The granite surface of the wall reflects everything near it. Not only does this create a beautiful visual effect, but it lets visitors' faces appear on the surface with the names. This shows the relationship between those lost in the war and those living years after the war's end.

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Each Name Has a Symbol Before or After It

The symbols before or after the names on the wall tell that person's status. Those missing in action have a plus sign. Individuals who died in action have a diamond. A combination of these symbols indicates the soldier's remains were returned.

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The Memorial Was Not Immediately Accepted by Everyone

People had strong reactions to the memorial. Some felt that it was a fitting tribute. Others found it insulting. They criticized the judges who selected the winning entry and argued that the designer was a communist.

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The Memorial Includes Two Statues

In 1984, a statue depicting three servicemen joined the memorial. The men stand opposite the wall and watch over it. A statue of three women caring for an injured soldier appeared in 1993. These statues represent the different groups of people who served in the battlefields and on the sidelines during the conflict.

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The Memorial Stands Between Two Other Popular Monuments

The three-acre parcel of land that houses the Vietnam Memorial is in the northwest corner of the National Mall. It's location near the Lincoln Memorial makes it easy for visitors to see the most popular monuments in the park. Not only is the Lincoln Memorial a short stroll away, but the Washington Monument towers over the area.

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The Wall Contains More Than 58,000 Names

The V-shaped wall stretches for 200 feet with names listed in chronological order by casualty dates. These names begin and end at the center point where the two walls meet to symbolize the completion of war.

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Craftsmen Continue Adding Names to the Wall

The wall originally had 57,939 names inscribed. Additional names continue to join this list. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson's Executive Order #11216 allowed individuals lost in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and adjacent waters to appear on the wall. Craftsmen also add names after verified remains return to the U.S.