What are three facts about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?

6 Things You May Not Know About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built without government funds.
• A college student won the memorial’s design contest.
• The memorial was originally quite controversial.
• Names are still being added to the memorial.

Does Vietnam have a memorial to the war?

It’s the most-visited memorial on the National Mall in Washington, attracting more than 5 million people each year – the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The most prominent feature of the memorial is a massive wall that lists the names of the more than 58,000 servicemen and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.

Why is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial controversial?

The design aroused a great deal of controversy, reflecting the lack of resolution of the national conflicts over the war as well as the lack of consensus over what constituted an appropriate memorial at the end of the 20th century.

How do I find a name on the Vietnam War memorial?

Locating a Name Look up the name in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Directory of Names. These directories are located at both ends of the Wall and contain an alphabetical listing of all the names on the Memorial. Note the panel and line number for the name listed.

How many Vietnam veterans are still alive?

How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day.

Why did people not like the Vietnam memorial?

A group of veterans protested the design, claiming that it was an ugly insult that portrayed the war as shameful, dishonorable and worth hiding. “For too long the veterans of that miserable conflict have borne the burden of the national ambivalence about the war,” wrote one critic.