A Place to Mourn

Why the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is Crucial to American Healing

Abstract

All memorials offer solace to those who visit, but the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is particularly suited to this cause because of certain aspects of its design. As this article demonstrates, qualities such as its black reflective surface, its gradual increase in height, and the ordering of the names work to create an emotional connection to the names on the wall, bringing them to life and creating a place for grief, and ultimately healing, to occur.