Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Probably the most moving memorial in the district, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is site of great reverence.  Dedicated in 1980, architect Mya Lin designed the memorial to be a scar upon the land of freedom.  The memorial famously displays the 58,249 names of every soldier, men and women, killed or missing in Vietnam, organized by year, from 1959 to 1975.

The memorial is inauspicious, and may not be immediately visible when ariving from the mall, as the wall is carved into the side of a rise.  Entering the memorial visitors decend down along the "V" shaped wall to the apex of the war.

It is common to see flags, wreaths, and letter left under the names of loved ones.  Taking pencil rubbings of the names are also a tradition.  The site is the focus of special events yearly on memorial day, including Rolling Thunder.