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Families, friends, and visitors came to visit the memorial in Washington for different reasons. It was not a simple memorial to honor soldiers who died and served in the war, but it was a place to mourn and heal for the country. The Vietnam War was a National trauma which is a trauma that needed to heal (Hobbs 1). Otherwise, it becomes bigger and will haunt them later. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a black wall that gathered more than 57 661 names of soldiers who died in Vietnam (Hobbs 1). It was considered to be a tombstone for many soldiers whose bodies were never found or were missing over the past decades. Families and friends came to mourn the loss of their loved ones since it was the only way to communicate with Vietnam veterans. They had feelings of emptiness in their heart and they suffered in silence in front of the black wall. The wall was the only way to get in touch with their loved one who unfortunately died from the war. The black wall also represented the people who died physically (Sturken 120). Some families tried to touch the wall or put their faces near the wall to have physical contact with the soldiers. In addition, the wall also marked the end of a terrible chapter of the Vietnam War for the veterans (Sturken 123). It was time for the Vietnam Veterans to go away from this tragedy to begin a new chapter that they will never forget. The creation of this memorial enabled the nation to heal itself from the horrific actions that have been done in the past.
The Vietnam War had an impact on the Vietnam Veterans, their families, and the country itself since they lost for the first time a battle. Most of the soldiers witnessed the violence in the war, which resulted in a psychological problem (Laufer 66). In addition, they lost several colleagues during the war and it demoralized them. Once they got home, they had a hard time adjusting to normal life. They were not used to live in an atmosphere where peace reigned. They were used to live in a place where people were constantly fighting (Laufer 67). Families were extremely sad when they knew about the death of their loved ones. When the Americans heard that the United States lost the Vietnam War, many Americans were very disappointed. The veterans were exhausted and all they wanted was a welcome ceremony where all Americans welcomed them with open arms. It had not happened as they had expected. The Americans did not welcome them, but they rather criticized them for coming home with a defeat. They said repeatedly that it was a shame for the whole country (Sturken 122). Veterans and their families were very demoralized when they heard the criticisms made by other Americans. The veterans were relieved to be able to come back home after fighting for 20 years in Vietnam, but it seems that no one could understand their sacrifices (Sturken 63).
After returning home, approximately 500,000 soldiers were diagnosed with health issues such as cancer, diseases related to the herbicide orange agent, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress (Hendrix & Anelli 87). Most of the soldiers had post-traumatic stress disorder. They were affected psychologically by the experiences of living in war. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health caused by a horrible event that the person has experienced or witnessed the situation (Laufer 66). They had tortured and killed their enemies with an inexplicable atrocity. From time to time, those bad memories came back into veterans memories and it scared them. Families who lived under a roof with a veteran found that was tough to live with them. The veterans started to isolate themselves from their families and became more distant (Hendrix & Anelli 87). They felt lonely and empty inside. They were indifferent when their family spoke to them. The fact that they isolated themselves from others could lead to other mental health such as depression and anxiety. It was tough, they came back home with health issues and bad memories that will follow them all their lives.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial also influenced the visitors who passed by. For them, it was a place of commemoration and education at the same time. A place where they could commemorate the sacrifices of men and women who fought in the Vietnam War. The memorial allowed visitors to feel the pain of families who had lost their loved ones and the value of the wall. The black wall had a great effect on visitors, it was a poignant, emotional, and moving memorial for them (Hobbs 2). Some visitors had been able to identify themselves with the names on the wall as if it were their name. Since the wall is made with reflective material, visitors can see themselves while looking at the names (Hobbs 4). The more they watched the names of these Vietnam veterans, the more they were attached to them. When the visitors stood in front of the wall they could also make a connection with the past and the present (Hobbs 3). For them, it was not an ordinary name, but a name that told a story. While other visitors came to educate themselves on the history of the Vietnam War. A place that will help them to reconstruct the past of America, a history that was unforgettable for the Americans. They could learn about the consequences of the war and what America has lost. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was not only a place to commemorate the death of soldiers but also a place to educate visitors.
Sources
- Hendrix, C & M. Anneli, Lisa. Impact of Vietnam War Service on Veterans Perceptions of Family Life . National Council on Family Relations. Vol. 42, No. 1 (Jan. 1993), pp. 87-92. (2017). Retrieved from https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2182/stable/pdf/584927.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aad878a48ed5afa45ae48643ef0cd7c53. Accessed 8 November 2019.
- Hobbs, R. A Place to Mourn: Why the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is Crucial American Healing . Ball State University. Vol 1. (2014). Retrieved from http://bsuenglish.com/dlrOLD/past/issue1_hobbs.pdf. Accessed 9 November 2019.
- Laufer, R et al. War Stress and Trauma: The Vietnam Veteran Experience . Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Vol. 25, No. 1. (2019). pp.65-85. Retrieved from https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2182/stable/pdf/2136705.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A10a5eec79ee9031b4d4186c7e521fe70. Accessed 8 November 2019
- Sturken, M. The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial . Representations. No. 35, Special Issue: Monumental Histories. (1991), pp. 118-142. Retrieved from https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2182/stable/pdf/2928719.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aa7a7e665ee7a2ae3f4f5ffcc67aac8d0. Accessed 9 November 2019.
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