It echoed the theme that regardless of how anyone felt about the war itself, everyone cared about honoring the men and women who had served and those who had ultimately lost their lives. Vietnam Veterans Memorial | Encyclopedia.com Ibid. The senior staffers were against it. 19. Dark tourism, also known as black tourism, thanatourism or grief tourism, is tourism that is associated with death or tragedy. The Vietnam War: Facts & Info About the Most Controversial - HistoryNet ), For three solid months, Spreiregen, Mosley, Woods, and Doubek planned the competition. That disparity would decline before the war ended, but the racial tensions at home began to insert themselves into the military in Vietnam, damaging unit morale. About Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The proposed Vietnam memorial was a . The hope is that the creation of the Memorial will begin a healing process, Doubek wrote. Following a march by thousands of veterans through the streets of Washington, D.C., to the National Mall site, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982. Their motto is: Honor the dead by serving the living. Volunteering to assist VVMF was an ideal opportunity for Cupp to do just that. Usually it refers to the period when the United States and other members of the SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) joined the forces with the Republic of South Vietnam to contest communist forces, comprised of South Vietnamese guerrillas and regular-force units, generally known as Viet Cong (VC), and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). How did people react to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? History of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Sturken, 125. It was becoming apparent that we had been able to be instruments to something far greater than anything we had ever imagined.. Ronald Reagans election in November 1980 ushered in the Reagan Revolution, and the first few years of Reagans presidency saw the largest tax cuts in American history. 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. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial: from Controversy to Healing Im sure I looked like a deer in the headlights, I was so nervous, Scruggs recalled. To achieve this effect she chose polished black granite for the walls. The act of dark tourism is somewhat controversial, with some viewing it as an act of respect and others as unethical practice. His political party, the Democrats, had been blamed for China falling to communism; withdrawing from Vietnam could hurt them in the 1964 elections. The fact that such nongovernmental entities as the New York Times, CNN, and the Max Protetch Gallery took it upon themselves to solicit designs for both the new World Trade Center buildings and for suitable memorials to the attacks indicates the extent to which the American public writ large was attuned to the sites future. . By the time of World War II, a number of groups sought Vietnamese independence but as Vo Nguyen Giapwho would build Vietnams postWWII armyexpressed it, the communists were the best organized and most action-oriented of these groups. For weeks, heated discussions took place around the topic of who should be part of the design jury. Bronze. The controversy over the planned 9/11 memorial at the former site of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, which began nearly a decade ago, harkened back to the debates of the early 1980s and heralds the current resurgence of cultural warfare. 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. Jan C. Scruggs, a wounded Vietnam War vet, studied what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return to. Instead, the memorial became a dividing line between factions both real and imagined. The insurgency was called the National Liberation Front (PLF); however, its soldiers and operatives became more commonly known by their opponents as the Viet Cong (VC), short for Vietnamese Communists. 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. By endowing memorials with the ability to accomplish these tasks, we bestow them with an extraordinary amount of power and authority. 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. Why reinforce the bourgeoisies pathetic illusions? Throughout the judging process, one of the judges, Grady Clay, had taken meticulous notes of the jurys discussions. Doubek approached Scruggs after the meeting and suggested that he form a nonprofit corporation as a vehicle to build a memorial. In November, a coup deposed Diem, with the blessing of Kennedys administration, which had quietly assured South Vietnams military leaders it was not adverse to a change in leadership and military aid would continue. Charles Mac Mathias, a Navy veteran of World War II, had been opposed to the war in Vietnam, but he had always respected those who served in it. The location secured, the seemingly uncontroversial process of articulating goals for a memorial and staging a competition draws over 1100 entries then the largest such design competition in the United States and the winner is Maya Lin's "Wall. When they returned home from serving their country, there was no national show of gratitude. 4) It defied spatial perception. Here are four facts about the provocative memorial. 15. The flag-waving crowds even cheered., Over the four days there were also workshops, parties, events, and reunions. Four of the eight were themselves veterans of previous wars. A memorial made perfect sense to him. One film that came out early that year,The Deer Hunter,explored the effects of war on three friends, their families and a tight-knit community. My background was relatively modest, he said. Ibid. In 1993 the Vietnam Womens Memorial was unveiled a short distance from the wall. Early on in the effort to get the Memorial built, there were traces of controversy. The priorities were to launch fund raising and achieve passage of the authorizing legislation. The photo was published worldwide under the title The Ultimate Protest, raising (or in some cases reinforcing) doubts about the government that the democratic United States was supporting. Some 80,000 Vietnamese from the south had moved to the north after the Geneva Agreements were signed. And if they themselves didnt know how to help, they knew someone who did. Experience the evolution of the Vietnam Wall controversy by reading through a chronological list of documents divided into five rounds: Vietnam veteran Jan Scruggs initiates a hard-fought battle to build a Vietnam War Memorial, finally convincing Congress to appropriate land for a memorial that would be built with public funds. One of the lingering legacies of the Vietnam War is the widespread belief in America that the media cost us the war in Vietnam. Images such as the burning monk; South Vietnamese Police Chief Lt. Col. Nguyen Ngoc Loan about to pull the trigger of a pistol pointed at the head of a bound VC prisoner; of a naked young girl running crying down a road after an American napalm strike that left her badly burnedthese images and others became seared into the minds of Americans on the homefront, and in those of civilians in allied nations such as Australia. Why was the Vietnam women's memorial so significant? Security was improving even as American forces were in the process of withdrawing. Popular dark tourism attractions include Auschwitz, Chernobyl and Ground Zero. 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. Im the News & Social Editor at HistoryNet and a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill, Spitfires, and Michigan football. They were either ignored or shouted at and called vicious names. All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden.12. And none of them discussed their own personal feelings or political views regarding the war. 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. The following February a strategic hamlet program began; it forcibly relocated South Vietnamese peasants to fortified strategic hamlets. The By the time the compromise statue is dedicated, a move for the addition of a women's memorial is already underway. Spreiregen recommended having a multi-disciplinary panel: two architects, two landscape architects, two sculptors, and one generalist with extensive knowledge about art, architecture, and design. It ended with communist victory in April 1975. It consists of a black granite wall with the names of over 58,000 soldiers who were killed or went missing in action inscribed on it. The ARVN bent but did not break. In 1972 a poll determined he was the most trusted man in America.. Because of this, Mathias appointed her to manage the details and to work with Scruggs, Doubek, and Wheeler on the legislation for the memorial. Associated Press correspondent Malcolm Mal Browne photographed him sitting quietly in the lotus position as the flames consumed him. And if they themselves didnt know how to help, they knew someone who did. They werent nice. As Scruggs analyzed the concept of collective psychological states, he realized that, just as veterans needed psychological healing, so too did the nation. All of these items are stored in a museum-quality facility in Landover, Maryland. Just, Why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial? It is a V-shaped polished black granite wall that runs 246 feet long. As Scruggs had always envisioned, the Memorial would feature all of the names of those who had died. PDF Why was the Vietnam War so Controversial? - University of Wisconsin Better armed than ever before, thanks to increased aid from the Soviet Union, they employed tanks for the first time. Mao Zedongs Communist Party had won the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and western governmentsparticularly that of the U.Sfeared communist expansion throughout Southeast Asia. In July 1959 Major Dale Buis and Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand were off duty when they were killed during an attack at Bien Hoa. Ms Lin arrived at a design solution to note those that were MIA with a symbol()that could be altered if the service member was found. 12. On the other side were the veterans and their self-appointed spokesmen, politicians such as Webb and James Watt (Secretary of the Interior under Ronald Reagan), and social conservatives such as Pat Buchanan. Ibid. It was also a hard-earned victory, leaving more than 300 U.S. Bob was the detail person and a good writer. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. 12 (2006): 95. One day in October 1969, fifteen members of the Americal Division wore black armbands while they were on patrol, the symbol antiwar protestors wore in the states. Instead, Lin found John Benson, a master stonecutter, to hand cut the text at the apex the years of the earliest and latest casualties from the Department of Defense list and the brief prologue and epilogue adjacent to the dates. I ran over to see a truck on fire and a dozen of my friends dying. They had been unloading an ammunition truck when the explosion occurred. Yet, this seemingly god-given shrine wears political feet of clay, and behind it lies a fierce controversy that re-opened the wounds of the war the memorial was designed to heal. Instead they found bitterness and discontent and they were often disliked by the public. It claimed,In one day of ferocious fighting we had eliminated from the field of battle a total of 919 American troops, had knocked out 22 enemy vehicles and 13 helicopters, and had captured one M-14 rifle. Marine losses actually were 45 dead, 203 wounded, and a few vehicles damaged. 1. On August 2, two North Vietnamese torpedo boats in broad daylight engaged USS Maddox, which was gathering communications intelligence in the Gulf of Tonkin. Images of fighting, of dead and wounded soldiers, of POWs held in North Vietnam were beamed into Americas living rooms night after night, as was footage of hundreds, sometimes thousands of antiwar protestors marching through the streets. Overview Military conscription, commonly known as "the draft," is one of the most complex topics related to the Vietnam War. First Inaugural Address (January 20, 1981), Ronald Wilson Reagan, Miller Center For Public Affairs, University of Virginia, accessed April 21, 2011, https://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3407. It also offered a way to exorcise lingering bitterness and anxieties that the war had propagated. Wheeler suggested that it should be a landscaped solution: a peaceful, park-like setting that could exist harmoniously with the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. 4: The Artistic Controversy, 3/1982-11/1985 >>>>> 1988. movements and weakening the morale of Americans fighting in Vietnam. But, say those opposed, the men represent the women, the men represent all soldiers . Civilian deaths during that time period were estimated at 2 million, but the U.S. estimate of civilians killed in the north at 30,000. Scruggs added: Make this place look like an airstrike was called in, he instructed. Each submittal had to be hung at eye level for review by the jury. Adding to Americans disillusionment was the race issue. They were also the most collegial people, who would deliberate intensely but never argue or posture, Spreiregen remembered. There were so many people helping to get the legislation [passed], remembered Healy. Their military experience meant they had contacts far and wide, at all levels of all professions, within government and the private sector. The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 1954-1975. Each contestant sealed his or her name in an envelope and taped it to the back of the submission. Rip it apart.. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Michael Clark, Remembering Vietnam, Cultural Critique 3 (Spring 1986): 50. The memorial should be conciliatory, transcending the tragedy of the war.3. We expect them to do the work of history writing, to draw single comprehensible narratives out of a Gorgons nest of individual, often contradictory, experiences. How should we remember a war that we "lost"? Why was the memorial so controversial? That changed in August 1964. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. The U.S. suffered over 47,000 killed in action plus another 11,000 non-combat deaths; over 150,000 were wounded and 10,000 missing. The division was supposed to be temporary: elections were to be held in both sections in 1956 to determine the countrys future. On March 5, 1975, the NVA invaded again. Just as the American people could be a part of building the Memorial through their contributions and support, they could also have an opportunity to participate in its design. Two nights later, Maddox and the destroyer USS Turner Joy were on patrol in the Gulf and reported they were under attack. He had studied the work of psychiatrist Carl Jung, a student of Sigmund Freud, who wrote of shared societal values. Its primary goal was to demoralize the North Vietnamese and diminish their manufacturing and transportation abilities. Inscribed on the black granite walls are the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing. Sturken, 320. The Vietnam Wall Controversy, Round 4, 1982, History on Trial, Lehigh University Digital Library, accessed April 21, 2011, https://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/vietnam/r4/1982/. 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. It was the reminder that the men who died in Vietnam all had faces and names, as well as friends and families who loved them dearly. They needed to secure a plot of land, raise funds and public awareness, design the Memorial, coordinate construction, and organize the dedication ceremonies. The U.S., possessing the largest foreign military presence, essentiallydirected the war from 1965 to 1968. Nonsense. Such images pack tremendous emotional punch but often lack context. The Vietnam War was a divisive and politically polemic war. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. At the time, well-managed open design competitions were common in Europe, but not in the United States. In March 1979, inspired by the Hollywood film The Deer Hunter, Scruggs launched a personal crusade to raise funds for a memorial that would pay tribute to the soldiers who had lost their lives in the war. After meeting with the VVMF officers and advisors, Warner volunteered to help the organization raise the seed money needed to launch the fund raising campaign. 400,000 1 million military Once there was no more room for conflictthe memorials form, upon dedication, was no longer negotiablethe front in this culture war moved elsewhere. The memorial, located near the western end of the Mall, is a black granite V-shaped wall inscribed with the names of the approximately 58,000 men and women who were killed or missing in action. The administration was caught by surprise, however, when Diem was murdered during the coup, which was led by General Duong Van Minh. Maya Lin, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 198182. I remind all of you of Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for justice for all Americans. 5/1981 - 3/1982. A Space of Loss: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - JSTOR It was a direct result of the First Indochina War (1946-1954) between France, which claimed Vietnam as a colony, and the communist forces then known as Viet Minh. They were unwrapped, number coded, photographed for the record, and prepared for display. The French suffered a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, leading to negotiations that ended with the Geneva Agreements, July 21, 1954. [] Over the past two months, art mullahs of every description have begun a holy war against the addition of [Harts] statue.8. During President Dwight Eisenhowers administration (19531961), financial aid was given to pay South Vietnams military forces and American advisors were sent to help train them. The controversy surrounding the memorial instantly vanished from the pages of the press, replaced by celebrations of its interactivity, tranquility, and emotive power. Intellectually and emotionally, America could embrace the idea. We expect them to do the work of history writing, to draw single comprehensible narratives out of a Gorgon's nest of individual, often contradictory, experiences. An electrical storm was interfering with the ships radar and may have given the impression of approaching attack boats. On January 21, 1970, Jan Scruggs was having his morning cup of coffee, but he was far from his kitchen table at home. By years end, 23,000 American military personnel would be in South Vietnam. Never before or since have journalists been given such complete access to cover a war. Some of the juror comments included: North Vietnamese officers, after the war, said the only thing they feared was an American-led invasion of the north, but the U.S. was not going to risk starting World War III, and at the time that seemed to loom as a distinct possibility. Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When They . The names are inscribed in the chronological order of their dates of casualty, showing the war as a series of individual human sacrifices and giving each name a special place in history. Following the Tet Offensive of 1968, the NVA had to assume the major combat role because the VC was decimated during the offensive. Many who visit leave behind items in memoriam to those that have served. Initially the (Senators) staff was split, recalled Monica Healy, a long-time Mathias aide, on whether Mathias should take the lead and support the efforts to build the Memorial. Ultimately, the VVMF Board agreed on a jury of the most experienced and prestigious artists and designers that could be found, since it took a mature eye to envision from two-dimensional renderings how a design would look when built.
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