why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial? why was the vietnam war memorial so controversial?

The Vietnam War was a divisive and politically polemic war. Just before Christmas 1979, Warner hosted a fundraising breakfast in his Georgetown home. He was in Vietnam, serving in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Sturken, 321. Many felt it should be composed primarily of veterans; others felt it should be made up only of professionals; some thought a mix of the two would be best. One of Mathias early key suggestions was that the memorial should be on the Mall, especially because the anti-war demonstrations had taken place there. On August 2, two North Vietnamese torpedo boats in broad daylight engaged USS Maddox, which was gathering communications intelligence in the Gulf of Tonkin. 170,000220,000 military At the time of the memorials design, many veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical weapon used by the U.S. military as an herbicide and defoliant, still suffered ongoing health problems. Thirty years later, it is difficult to think of her memorial as a controversial work of art. 6. zThe Vietnam Wall Controversy, Round 3, October 1981January 1982, History on Trial, Lehigh University Digital Library, accessed April 21, 2011, https://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/vietnam/r3/october/. 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. On January 21, 1970, Jan Scruggs was having his morning cup of coffee, but he was far from his kitchen table at home. Post-war, the French tried to re-establish control but faced organized opposition from the Viet Minh (short for Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or League for the Independence of Vietnam), led by Ho Chi Minh and Giap. A few of the most vocal opponents, including James Webb and H. Ross Perot, had previously been strong supporters of a memorial. Overview Military conscription, commonly known as "the draft," is one of the most complex topics related to the Vietnam War. Its mirror-like surface reflects the images of the surrounding trees, lawns and monuments. Jan was a great spokesperson. But the slogan has proved remarkably effective and points to a deep truth: forever is a very short time in democratic politics, writes Philip Collins. I remember The Washington Post had pages and pages of stories in the A section. Vietnam veterans were, at long last, receiving the recognition they deserved. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. To created credibility for the fledgling effort, they formed the National Sponsoring Committee, which included then-first lady Rosalynn Carter, former President Gerald Ford, Bob Hope, future first lady Nancy Reagan, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, USA, Vietnam veteran author James Webb, and Adm. James J. Stockdale, USN. We had to build credibility among the design community, but also build credibility with the veterans, said Woods. It ended with communist victory in April 1975. Support for the war eroded further. All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden.12. monument, Washington, District of Columbia, United States. South Korea: 50,000 Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. They set their sights in support of the clear, simple vision Scruggs outlined:to honor the warrior and not the war. Diem fell from favor with his American patrons, partly over disagreements in how to handle the war against the VC and partly because of his unpopular suppression of religious sects and anyone he feared threatened his regime. On February 7, 1965, the U.S. Air Force began bombing selected sites in North Vietnam. Two U.S. helicopter units arrived in Saigon in 1961. The senior staffers were against it. Sturken, 322. The memorial was built to honor that spirit and the sacrifice of so many who gave everything they had to give. It seemed every time they contacted someone, they were greeted with enthusiasm for the idea. The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 19541975. 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. Many people will not comprehend this design until they experience it. The U.S. suffered over 47,000 killed in action, Kennedy himself was assassinated in Dallas, VC and NVA units launched a massive attack, CBS evening news anchor Walter Cronkite returned to Vietnam, https://www.historynet.com/the-vietnam-war-a-history-of-americas-controversial-war/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. In addition to the accounts of its creation, sev- Washington, D.C. As memorials are objects of public commemoration, we demand a lot of them. 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. By years end, 2,573 individuals and teams had registered almost 3,800 people in total. Crowd at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 1982. Confused times need simple forms., According to the description of the design concept: The jury chose a design which will stimulate thought rather than contain it.. Before the 1880s, the French controlled Vietnam. But Lin doesn't like anybody "drawing mustaches" on her design and, with the support of many in the Art world, pressures the Commission of Fine Arts to scuttle the compromise and hatch a new one. The choice of the lettering style Optima, designed by Hermann Zapf was a font Lin selected after considering a multitude of options.The font Optima seemed to fit that desire to match an almost printed quality with a hand-cut feel. When VVMF announced the selection of Lins design, the initial public reaction was generally positive. It was surreal.. But can America truly mean that we should feel honored by that black pit?6. I had my ear to the ground, Mathias recalled. Mathias had grown increasingly concerned about how veterans had been treated on their return. Together with Spreiregen, he composed a report based on these thoughtful comments. (Woods continues to serve on VVMFs Board of Directors to this day. When I was attending law school, Vietnam veterans were an anomaly among the young single professional set of Washington, so it was something you didnt mention. remembered Doubek. With permit in hand, Doubek instructedto commence construction immediately. 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. As Scruggs had always envisioned, the Memorial would feature all of the names of those who had died. In large part, this was accomplished through a series of conflicts waged at the level of culture. And if they themselves didnt know how to help, they knew someone who did. My background was relatively modest, he said. 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. Names of all who died in the war or . 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. For the millions of people who visit each year, Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall sends a chilling message about war, heroism, and sacrifice. By the end of 1967, there were 540,000 American troops in Vietnam, and the military draft was set to call up 302,000 young men in the coming year, an increase of 72,000 over 1967. Intellectually and emotionally, America could embrace the idea. The NVA had to take over. From the registration forms, it was apparent that architects, artists, designers, as well as veterans and students of all ages and all levels of experience were planning to participate. They complained about the walls being black. In 1973 a third Vietnam war begana continuation, actuallybetween North and South Vietnam but without significant U.S. involvement. 9. ' Continuing, Wolfe sarcastically asked: Shouldnt public sculpture delight the public or inspire the public or at least remind the public of cherished traditions? After the dedication, Scruggs and Wheeler walked together along the upper side of the Memorial ground, near Constitution Avenue. At 21 and still an undergraduate, Linconceived her design as creating a park within a park a quiet protected place unto itself, yet harmonious with the overall plan of Constitution Gardens. Earlier, in March 1968, the Americal Division had been involved in what became known as the My Lai Massacre, in which over 100 men, women and children were killed. The timing and scale of the offensive caught ARVN, the U.S. and other SEATO troops by surprise, however. Marling and Silberman, 11. [] Over the past two months, art mullahs of every description have begun a holy war against the addition of [Harts] statue.8. 20. In April 1995, Vietnams communist government said 1.1 million combatants had died between 1954 and 1975, and another 600,000 wounded. Because of this, Mathias appointed her to manage the details and to work with Scruggs, Doubek, and Wheeler on the legislation for the memorial. Some antiwar protestors blamed the men and women who served in Vietnam, taunting them and spitting on them when they came home. The selected design then had to go through Federal agency approval and development into finished plans. No American air strikes came to aid the overstretched South Vietnamese, despite Nixons earlier assurances to Thieu. The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 1954-1975. and was so hurt by the controversy . Free of overt historical reference to either the Egyptian or Greco-Roman traditions of monument designthe main visual touchstones for American memorial-buildingLins design broke with these traditions through its use of black granite, polished to a reflective smoothness (instead of white limestone or marble); its horizontal orientation, submerged into the earth instead of rising vertically; and its lack of any figurative ornamentation or any embellishment at all, save for the chronological listing of names of soldiers killed in the course of the war, etched into the granites mirror-like surface. 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. Please leave evidence I will report anything other than this 1 See answer Advertisement lheduardomarques Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also called The Wall, national monument in Washington, D.C., honouring members of the U.S. armed forces who served and died in the Vietnam War (195575). Tensions between blacks and whites had been intensifying for years as African Americans sought to change centuries-old racial policies. Scruggs would never forget the awful scene. To suggest we are on the edge of defeat is to yield to unreasonable pessimism. But the fact that the language deployed to critique Arads and Walkers design so closely echoed the criticism launched against Lin in the early 1980s signifies that the debates of that era remain unresolved. When the time came, however, Diem resisted the elections; the more populous north would certainly win. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. As they forged a partnership with Mathias and his staff, VVMF also set out to establish other key relationships. The bronze sculpture, depicting three women caring for an injured soldier, recognized the work of the more than 10,000 women who served in Vietnam. The love and acceptance that the American people gave to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have continued unabated for over 25 years. Washington, D.C. Aerial view. Veterans needed this, and so did the nation. Early in his efforts Scruggs had called on Emogene Cupp, then the national president of the American Gold Star Mothers. It was designed by American architect Maya Lin.