why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial?

15. The Best Answer To The Question Why was the vietnam war memorial so 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. One example, cited in Grab Their Belts to Fight Them: The Viet Congs Big-Unit War Against the U.S., 19651966, by Warren Wilkins, is a description of the first major battle between the VC and American ForcesU.S. 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. Holding a competition is like launching a rocket. 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. News footage showed the fighting in Saigon and Hue. Its mere existence would be societal recognition that their sacrifices were honorable rather than dishonorable. The two sections were not unlike North and South in the United States prior to the Civil War; their people did not fully trust each other. The National Park Service archives most of the nonperishable items left at The Wall. 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. Ruling out an invasion of North Vietnam assured that a purely military victory would not be possible, a fact that was at odds with many Americans expectations for the war. Reflecting Absence (planned design for memorial to victims of attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001). The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 1954-1975. It was a direct result of the First Indochina War (19461954) between France, which claimed Vietnam as a colony, and the communist forces then known as Viet Minh. Critics of Lins design proposed that a second work be included on the memorial site, as a solution to the problem of the original memorial design: a figurative bronze statue by Frederick Hart of three soldiers in uniform, which had placed third in the initial competition. They were the only father-son pair to die in Vietnam.) Watt followed on March 11, 1982, by granting permission for the construction permits. Veterans needed this, and so did the nation. The shift, however, did not represent a resolved conflict between public art and public memory and memorialization, but merely a temporary relocation of the site of debate. And her design was nearly as controversial as the war it commemorated. Here's how a controversial work of art healed America after Vietnam The jury evaluation took place over five days, from April 27 through May 1, 1981. More than 150,000 veterans, families, loved ones and friends made plans to attend. 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. It was also a hard-earned victory, leaving more than 300 U.S. Many who visit leave behind items in memoriam to those that have served. Vietnam, however, was divided at the 17th parallel. And none of them discussed their own personal feelings or political views regarding the war. For years, American society as a whole, regardless of political affiliation, had studiously ignored Vietnam veterans, their presence a painful reminder of the wars moral ambiguity. The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 19541975. The chief design criteria were that the memorial be 1) reflective and contemplative in character; 2) be harmonious with its site and environment, 3) make no political statement about the war itself, and 4) contain the names of all who died or remained missing. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Maya Lin, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 198182. How were Vietnam veterans treated when they returned from the war? 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. Security was improving even as American forces were in the process of withdrawing. Earlier, Wild Bill Donovan, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the World War II forerunner of the CIA, had also advised that the U.S. had nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming involved in what was then French Indochina. Ironically, the leadership of North Vietnam came to a similar conclusion: they had to inflict enough casualties on Americans to end support for the war on the U.S. homefront and force a withdrawal before the U.S. could build up sufficient numbers of men and material to defeat them. In the nine months since he'd been in-country, Scruggs had already seen a lot of action and had been wounded in a battle near Xuan Loc. Each juror was required to read Fields of Fire, A Rumor of War, and other current literature about the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was the longest in U.S. history until the Afghanistan War (20012021). That would have made any negotiation with Ho politically ticklish. 14. But how and where could all of the submissions be displayed? The Three Soldiers, 198284. We had to build credibility among the design community, but also build credibility with the veterans, said Woods. In the nine months since hed been in-country, Scruggs had already seen a lot of action and had been wounded in a battle near Xuan Loc. The VC was effectively finished; it would not field more than 25,00040,000 troops at any time for the remainder of the war. Scruggs added: Make this place look like an airstrike was called in, he instructed. He found that returning veterans were finding it hard to trust people. The South Vietnamese Army was showing improvement, winning 37 of their last 45 major engagements. 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. United States: 540,000 Lin knew it was critical to maintain the simplicity of the design throughout the design development and construction process. The French suffered a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, leading to negotiations that ended with the Geneva Agreements, July 21, 1954. 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. Its detractors perceived it as a monument to defeat, one that spoke more directly to a nations guilt than to the honor of the war dead and the veterans, describing it as the black gash of shame, the degrading ditch, and a wailing wall for draft dodgers and New Lefters of the future.4 Responding to its lack of narrative content, Senator James Webb called it nihilistic. Interestingly (given their opposing political positions), both the National Review and the New Republic equated the list of names with a police report on a traffic accident. Never in the history of the United States had a national memorial been conceived, approved, built and dedicated in that short an amount of time. 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. The task groups proved effective, as described by John Woods, who jointed as a key advisor. Two nights later, Maddox and the destroyer USS Turner Joy were on patrol in the Gulf and reported they were under attack. Why reinforce the bourgeoisies pathetic illusions? American drawdown continued, with only 43,000 personnel left in-country by mid-August. Updates? It seemed unfair and inappropriate that there should be no recognition.. I am always incredibly moved and heartened, especially when a veteran tells me that The Wall has helped them in some wayit could not mean more to me. Frances military involvement in Vietnam began when it sent warships in 1847, ostensibly to protect Christians from the ruling emperor Gia Long. On the off chance that military and political analysts are right, in the next few months we must test the enemys intentions, in case this is indeed his last big gasp before negotiations. "The veterans were asking me, 'What do you think people are going to do when they first come here?'" Lin recalls. Jan was a great spokesperson. A Space of Loss: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - JSTOR This 21-Year-Old College Student Designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Under those agreements, Cambodia and Laoswhich had been part of the French colonyreceived their independence. Jack was the visionary, the creative, big-picture guy. Associated Press correspondent Malcolm Mal Browne photographed him sitting quietly in the lotus position as the flames consumed him. I had calculated that it was possible to see all of them in a minimum of 3 1/2 hours. Ho attempted to contact Eisenhower to discuss Vietnam but received no answer. Vietnam: A History of America's Controversial War Because he possessed great knowledge of history, he understood the extensive healing process required after war. 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. Timing is everything, and enough time had passed. Why was the Vietnam War Memorial so controversial? - 2023 The jurors began by touring the site and then returned to Hangar #3 at Andrews to view each of the 1,421 designs individually. Early in his efforts Scruggs had called on Emogene Cupp, then the national president of the American Gold Star Mothers. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? Maya Lin, has gone on to become a respected architect and artist, with a studio in New York City. He closed by saying: To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past.

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